The Trouble With Crystals
by Sith Lord Darth Revan
Summary: Knights of the Old Republic, Prequels crossover. Searching for a way to counter the Sith threat, Revan turns to an ancient Sith device, with unexpected results.
1. Prologue: I Should Have Known Better

Knights of the New Republic: Revisited

AN: As the Jedi Order struggles with the recent surge of violence across the Republic, a single man may change the fate of not only the Chosen One, but the galaxy itself. Takes place right before the beginning of Attack of the Clones. To clarify, Revan is complete, his knowledge in both his created life and his real one restored to him. Takes place between KOTOR I and KOTOR II in the Knights of the Old Republic Timeline.

Prologue: I Should Have Known Better

A dark corridor leading through a massive temple lay before a silhouetted figure. The figure was shadowed, no light reflecting from Korriban's setting sun and the distant sounds of battle echoed eerily in the distance. The figure moved slowly, a humanoid hand extending from its shrouded form as it ran along a set of murals and glyphs depicting the glory of the Sith.

"How much longer are you going to take?"  
A rough voice grumbled from behind the figure and the figure turned to the voice, a smirk playing on his features as he stepped into the orange light that bid the coming of dusk in the Valley of the Sith Lords.

"Come now, Canderous. I know I buried Mandalore's mask somewhere around here."

Canderous Ordo glared calmly at the former Dark Lord of the Sith. The man had been disjointed in the year following the Star Forge's destruction and the defeat of Darth Malak. The Republic had struck hard against what remained of the Sith but even the Republic hadn't stepped foot on Korriban, instead writing it off as a lost cause. The planet's only spaceport burned in the distance, obscured by the Sith Academy as Sith battled Sith and those who were not Sith were struck down without thought. The battle-hardened Mandalorian turned his eyes back to Revan's, narrowing them in suspicion.

"We're not here for the helm are we?"

Canderous asked, Revan nodded slowly, his tongue moving to lick his lips as he pressed his hand against a glyph.

"Do you know why I chose you and not Mission or Zalbaar or Carth or even Juhani?"

Canderous said nothing, knowing that Jolee had gone missing in the wake of a Sith assault on the world of Katarr. In truth he had grown to respect the old pest as a warrior and the Mandalorian stood straighter, his loyalty to Revan unshakable.

"What about your princess?"

A subdued smile pulled on Revan's calm features as he looked back at the glyph his hand rested on, pressing it until it sank into the wall. A small stone shifted, revealing a large case. Pulling the case from its resting place, Revan opened it, staring at its contents. Within laid a set of battle robes similar to the ones Darth Revan was infamous for wearing and beneath those as well as a set of matching lightsaber rested a piece of cloth that was clearly wrapped around something to protect it. Bypassing his armor, the former Dark Lord of the Sith lifted the object almost reverently and unwrapped it, showing the helm of Mandalore the Ultimate to Canderous Ordo.

""I came here to stop the threat of the Sith. The means of which I cannot explain to you. I can only tell you that you cannot follow me."

Canderous glared at Revan, loyal though wanting to fight. Seeing the look, Revan added.

"I know you would follow me to the fires of Hell, Canderous but this is a place within the Force that you simply cannot enter as if entering a ship or a building. It would be a miracle if I survive it but I must do something before the Sith grow more bold and the ruin of Katarr becomes more common. As the one to slay Mandalore I pass his helm to you, naming you Mandalore. Do you accept."

Canderous' steel gray eyes rested with Revan's and the Mandalorian held the former Sith's gaze before kneeling and placing a hand over his chest.  
_"I accept this with my honor. What is your command?"_

Canderous spoke in Mandalorian, his features etched in stone with his seriousness. Revan handed the mask to Canderous and looked past the Mandalorian, wrath etched into his features.

"We have company."

Canderous set the helm behind him, turning and leveling his heavy blaster as a group of Sith, less than a dozen moved to the _Ebon Hawk_. Glaring coldly at the interlopers, Canderous fired, striking one cleanly in the chest before the other ten Sith opened fire, red blasterbolts impacting around the Mandalorian and sending fragments of stone and dust down upon him as they struck the ancient Sith structure. In a flash of black robes, Revan had sprinted clearly past Canderous an leapt into the fray, his blue lightsaber alive with a deadly glow as it sliced into the Sith soldiers. A well placed shot nearly struck Mandalore's helm and Canderous grabbed the helmet, feeling a burn in his side as a blaster bolt seared through him. Grunting in pain, the Mandalorian abandoned his heavy blaster, instead pulling a Mandalorian Ripper from his belt and holding the helmet to his chest with his left arm while his right calmly aimed and shot each Sith that came near him cleanly in their silver faceplates.

Needless to say Revan and Canderous made quick work of the Sith in the vicinity within moments and Revan calmly walked over to Canderous, looking at the Mandalorian's cold eyes as he looked for anyone else that would dare to challenge him. Looking down on Canderous, Revan took stock of the warrior's wounds before callously dismissing him.

"I'm finished with you, Canderous. Go to Dxun and rebuild what you can of the Mandalorians. In the place where the Republic's command base once stood you will find a Mandalorian Basilisk as well as a store of weapons and armor that will help you. You cannot follow me, Go now."

Whether Revan knew or not how those words cut Canderous, he did not show as he walked back to his corridor, pulling his armor from the case and attaching the red Mandalorian metal that made up its strong form to his wrists, his legs and then his chest. Finishing with his armor, Revan pulled his cloak over the armor to obscure its recognizable features and placed a deceptively thin mask over his face before attaching the two lightsabers that rested in the case to his belt, keeping his own that he had constructed on Dantooine during his Jedi training in his hand. Canderous watched all this with a blank expression, cradling Mandalore's helm as one would a newborn child as he looked on. Revan's dismissal was painful and Canderous turned away, following his orders before Revan called to him.

"Canderous. If you see the others... Tell them I've gone to where my dreams lead me."

By others, Revan had meant Bastila Shan, currently the ranking member, or survivor would have been the better word of the Jedi Order. No one knew what had happened after Katarr to the Jedi scattered across the galaxy, only that they were gone. The last order to the Jedi had been to scatter and to hide, await the coming darkness and then return to Dantooine when the time came. Dantooine, sight of the massacre of the Jedi Enclave by Darth Malak's forces would be where they would gather when the time was right. Revan had lost track of Mission and Zalbaar on Coruscant, assuming the two were exploring the undercity of the Republic's capitol and he had released Zalbaar from his life debt, feeling that he was no longer the man whom the Wookiee had pledged the sacred rite to. Zalbaar had noticed the change in Revan and had agreed, though grudgingly. Juhani was with Bastila, protecting the now Jedi Knight with a fervor Revan knew was due in part to who he was and what he had done for her. Who he had been before his capture had saved the Cathar from slavery and who he had been after had saved her from the Darkside and Revan knew there was no one he could trust more to watch over his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.

Carth Onasi had been promoted to Admiral and was swept up in the hunt for the remnant Sith and Revan had only time to tell the soldier that he would be delayed in joining him in the search. The droids were on the ship and Revan knew Canderous was the only one who wouldn't try to make him stay. If anything, Canderous would be the one to press him on, wanting to go himself to fight whatever Revan would face but Revan knew, only he could go and no other.

"You know the Princess is gonna blame me, right?"

Canderous grumbled. Revan felt a smirk, very much like the one on the Mandalorian's face pull at his own and his dark brown eyes studied the injured Mandalorian before him.

"Don't get too old and weak while I'm gone."

Canderous snorted in a single show of amusement before he grinned.

"Don't get yourself maimed. It'd be a shame if I had to put you down for being useless."

Chuckling at the Mandalorian's sick sense of humor, Revan gave Canderous a simple Mandalorian salute, turning his back and entering the cave before him. The passageway, carved by the ancient Sith opened and closed immediately behind the former Sith Lord and Revan activated his blue lightsaber, watching as it illuminated the walls around him. Canderous stared at the wall, pondering if he should just blast through the doors before a noise drew his attention to another group of beings working their way towards him, these being refugees from Dreshdae. Sneering at them, Canderous entered the _Ebon Hawk_, wondering if he should just leave them before he took a good long look at them, recognizing one as violet-skinned Twi'lek Revan had allowed to live during their time there nearly a year before.

"Well are you just going to stand there all day?"

Canderous shouted down the ramp before Yuthura Ban and several, what Canderous could only guess were once Twi'lek slaves entered the ship. The former Sith stared at Canderous with eyes only narrowed slightly in suspicion before, much to Canderous' disgust she actually relaxed in his presence. Canderous suppressed a shark's grin as the other Twi'lek woman cowered from him, recognizing his silver Mandalorian armor and the blood that slowly seeped from Canderous' wound.

"That it?"

Canderous barked, startling the Twi'leks though Yuthura merely nodded sedately.

"That's all that made it..."

The sorrow in the Twi'lek's voice stirred something in Canderous that he loathed deeply and the Mandalorian nodded, his stony features relaxing slightly. He could drop the Twi'lek off on Onderon before he would go to Dxun. The Mandalorian would have to ditch the _Ebon Hawk_ on Onderon but with a smirk as he took his seat behind the controls of the Corellian freighter, Canderous had just in mind who he'd talk to. The _Ebon Hawk_ rose slowly from Korriban, rising steadily into the atmosphere and vanishing in a flash of a hyperspace jump. On the planet below, the man formerly known as Darth Revan entered a dark room, staring at a spot in the center of the room that seemed to absorb all light. Raising his hand towards the crystal, Revan retracted his lightsaber's blue blade, watching as the black crystal that formed the dark abyss began to glow, dark violet lightning sparking from its barely visible smooth edges. The former General of the Republic and Dark Lord of the Sith looked at the faintly visible inscription on the crystal and rolled his eyes. It was the Ancient Sith equivalent of a _Do Not Touch _sign. Resting his gloved hand on the dark shard, the memories of the former Dark Lord stirred slightly and he looked back on his mind, the clarity of them nearly suffocating. The memories flashed in a myriad of lights, slowing in the rogue Jedi Knight's mind to barely perceivable images of a violent childhood of harsh training at the hands of the Mandalorians before they faded to more clear visions of Jedi and long forgotten, or dead friends. Slowly, the images slowed until Revan saw himself, in the same armor in the same room and a feeling of weightlessness enveloped him.

The man in the image was not much different from the man that held the crystal, the only difference being a simple driving force, hope. The man in the image, the man that became Darth Revan looked at the device with no hope, no will to fight against a darkness greater than anything he had seen. In the image, the man turned, walking away from the crystal, from the device that could be used to destroy the True Sith and went about another means, not believing in the powers of the Force and only believing in the powers of himself. That man had been younger, not motivated by love or commitment to save his friends, that man was damned and sought merely to minimize the damage of the coming storm. The man holding on to the crystal and watching his life flash before him had gained those missing pieces and because of this, did what his other self had deemed suicidal.

"Take me to the Dark Lord of the Sith."

Sith Alchemy had made many, unnatural devices to store and bend the will of Force to their means. The onyx crystal was merely one of many such artifacts that remained hidden, undisturbed and Revan felt the images in his mind shift again, flashing in comprehensively fast before his senses and he slowly succumbed to the crushing weight that seemed to fall upon him.

Nearly Four thousand years after the Battle of the Star Forge, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine had dismissed the Jedi Masters from a meeting over the Separatist threat and greeted a small delegation of Senators representing the Loyalist movement within the Republic when something within the Force screamed a warning. Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu were speaking to Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo of the recent assassination attempts against her when the entire room seemed to notice the addition of an uninvited guest. Six lightsabers ignited and six of the seven Jedi present moved quickly to form a circle around the figure that had materialized seemingly out of thin air.

"Drop your weapons!"

The two Senatorial guards, clad in red robes and armor ordered, joining the Jedi as their Force Pikes charged, blue-white lightning crackling on the ends of the weapons. Most of the Senators were pushed out of the room by their guards while Chancellor Palpatine and Senator Amidala, separated from the doorway by the figure and the Jedi remained in place. Padme's eyes were wide a moment at the scene before she reigned in her shock and produced a blaster from her senatorial robes. Utterly surrounded, the figure that had appeared, clad in red armor and black robes looked around in a daze, wondering what had just happened.

"I'm looking for the Dark Lord of the Sith..."

Revan stated calmly, taking stock of his situation and cursing the Ancient Sith. Wherever he was he was surrounded by seven Jedi and nearly a dozen angry human guards. Bad odds on a bad day, luckily he was feeling up for a challenge.

"Raise your hands and drop your weapons."  
A Senatorial guard ordered. Revan noticed his lightsabers were on his belt and looked at the unfamiliar Jedi and Senators around him. Palpatine watched the figure in complete and total shock, wondering where the man had come from and why he would be looking for Darth Sidious in his office. Only a privileged few knew of his true identity and they would never talk.

_"Something's not right here..."_

Revan thought to himself, his hands traveling to his sabers. Without further warning the two Senatorial guards moved to disable their intruder, both being flung across the room by some unseen force the moment they took a threatening step forward. In that instant, all hell broke loose within Chancellor Palpatine's office and Revan pulled two lightsaber from his belt, activating their crimson blades and fending off six lightsabers that struck at the same moment his blades snapped to life. The former Sith Lord held his ground, using both his sabers to defend as six very experienced and very deadly Jedi moved against him at once. It was a shame they didn't live up to the standards of their ancestors.

"Enough!"

Revan shouted after several seconds of the fray. A powerful wave of Force energy rose from within Revan, capturing each of the Jedi in place and freezing their movements for a fraction of a second before they were flung in all directions away from the former Sith Lord. Revan immediately lowered himself into a much cleaner defensive stance, having time to prepare for the second attack. Half a dozen blasters, mostly from Senator Amidala's escort opened up on the man and Revan deflected the blasts, guiding his sabers to keep the blasts from striking their owners and sending them instead to the ceiling and the floor. This was obviously not where he had wanted to be and he shouldn't go about killing random people, yet.  
"Hold your fire!"  
Senator Amidala shouted, causing her guards and Handmaidens to immediately cease fire. It was a stroke of luck none of them had been killed when their shots were deflected and the Senator realized this was entirely the Jedi's arena. The figure's masked face turned to the Nubian Senator and Padme froze, her eyes widening as she fell under the gaze of the figure's demonic mask. It almost reminded the Senator of the Sith Lord Darth Maul and the former Queen of Naboo found herself wondering if it was the Sith and not Count Dooku that were orchestrating the assassination attempts on her.   
"Wise it would not be, to attack."

Master Yoda's calm voice broke the ambient noise of Revan's active lightsabers and the Former Dark Lord of the Sith turned his attention from Padme Amidala to the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order.

"I could have told you that."

Revan grumbled, surprising the room's occupants. Palpatine had quickly reigned in his confusion and anger and was calmly regarding the being before him with curiosity. Whoever it was was powerful in the Force and had sent even the powerful Master Windu back with whatever technique he had used. Palpatine's blue eyes narrowed as he studied the armor, a distant memory of an ancient Sith holocron playing on his mind. More curious than anything, Palpatine decided to let the events play out, not willing to tip his hand to the Jedi so early in the game. If nothing else maybe the pests would kill one another and save him the trouble later on.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion? Who are you?"

Palpatine managed to add a fearful tremor to his voice, the picture of a normal man in the abnormal situation within the Chancellor's office. Revan's masked features hid whatever expression his face held but the mask moved back and forth cautiously as the Jedi again formed a circle around him, this time with much more caution. Senator Amidala felt Captain Typho trying to urge her towards the door but shook off his grasp, wanting to know herself. The sound of approaching boot steps heralded the return of Senator Bail Organa and his escort, as well as a dozen Senatorial guards.

"I will not ask again."

Palpatine continued, his voice much calmer. Revan could not believe what he was hearing and, in a rather indignant voice told them as much.

"What? You don't recognize Darth Revan when you see him?"

Palpatine's internal musings ceased at that thought and the Chancellor could only gape at the man before him. The Force could not be denied and the man spoke only the truth.   
"Who?"

Padme managed before the armored former Sith Lord very slowly edged his way closer to the window, which happened to be obstructed by the young Senator.   
"He's after the Senator!"  
Someone shouted, Padme would later recall it being the Chancellor but in that moment, her life had flashed before her eyes as the man moved towards her with blinding speed, one of his sabers deactivating and then resting against her throat as the man used her as a human shield.

"How rude!"

Jar Jar Binks managed before Padme felt herself falling and the sound of shattering glass registered to her. Much to her own embarrassment, the Nubian Senator felt her vision swim and passed out in a dead faint as she and her attacker fell from the window of Chancellor Palpatine's office. The Force gathered around Revan and the former Sith Lord landed on the ground, using the Force to cushion the Senator's fall as well. Looking upwards, Revan cursed to himself as he saw four Jedi following him and he let go of the Senator, catching her when he noticed she had unconscious. Cursing again, Revan laid the young Nubian to the ground and broke into a Force-enhanced sprint from the scene, ignoring the odd and startled looks the Coruscant natives gave him as he passed them.

"I should have known better!"

Revan spat, leaping into the air off of a walkway and free falling to a lower level of Coruscant where he became much less conspicuous. This was definitely not where he had expected to end up.


	2. Chapter 1: Terrible Terrible Sith

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 1: Terrible Terrible Sith

Bastila was seriously going to kill him, Revan decided. To make matters worse the bloody crystal had sent him to a bunch of even stodgier Jedi than he was used to. Stalking through the dark undercity of Coruscant, Revan had attached his mask to his belt and pulled down his hood, hiding most of his recognizable features that were being broadcast over nearly every monitor he saw, calling him some sort of assassin. Not that it wasn't true but he wasn't trying to kill anyone but the Sith Lord.

"Bloody marvelous."

Revan groaned, sitting on a stack of containers and running a hand through his shoulder-length hair. Looking back up at the large holo image of himself, Revan knew Bastila was going to kill him. He'd somehow ended up on Coruscant and crashed a very private Jedi meeting with a bunch of Senators and then he had nearly killed himself and the Senator from Naboo if the reports were correct by escaping. At that thought, Revan frowned and his hand twitched as if his mind was finally catching up with his situation.

_"The Senator from Naboo? Naboo doesn't even have a Senator, what in the blazes is going on here?"_

Looking up, Revan watched as Jedi, Jedi Councillors stood behind the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic as he asked for the people of Coruscant to report if they saw the assassin.

"Is this a joke?"

Revan muttered to himself, not understanding what had happened. Naboo wasn't even represented within the Republic as it was a Rim world and the Supreme Chancellor of his Republic was a woman, a very angry and bitter woman that had been sending him not so kind letters after his true identity was discovered by the Republic. And why weren't they using his name? Saying Darth Revan would have gotten everyone's attention and it was almost as if...  
_"As if they don't know who I am..."_

Standing abruptly, Revan made certain his cloak covered his armor as he frowned deeply. Something was most definitely not right and he needed answers.

"The man is extremely dangerous and should you see him, report it immediately to the Jedi or the authorities."

The message continued replaying and Revan cringed. Maybe the crystal was messing with his mind and he was trapped in some twisted Sith prison for anyone stupid enough to ignore their warnings. After all, if a Sith Lord would put a warning on something and the Sith did as they pleased...   
"Marvelous."

Revan grumbled, stalking though the crowds of workers and civilians that were working their way to their homes or some bar to forget about their troubles. Pacing back and forth furiously as he thought, Revan came to an abrupt halt when he unconsciously reached for the bond he shared with Bastila and found nothing. Eyes widening, Revan checked again, and again, and again; yet still nothing. If Bastila had died he would have felt it, if she would have lost consciousness he would still be able to feel her and if she had been blocking him, Revan could have still known she was there but the lack of anything through the bond sent a shiver down the former Dark Lord's spine as he searched past his bond with Bastila and to the bonds he shared with Juhani, Taya Kenobi, even Malak and came up with nothing. Even in death, Revan had still been able to sense a lingering trace of Malak but now, it was as if they never existed.

Revan felt his palms begin to sweat and his head begin to grow light as his heart beat faster and faster. A look of complete and total confusion crossed Revan's features until he realized he was panicking and he quickly reigned in his errant thoughts. The Force was there, weak and decaying and Revan flinched away from its once radiant presence.

_"What the Hell?"_

It was almost as if the Force had been wounded, as if it was torn in two and the other half had simple faded to nothing. Reality began to set in and Revan's hands began to shake. Something terrible had happened and it hadn't been recent. When he looked to the Force for answers, Revan found that it had nothing to give him, that it was just as confused as he was that he was there. It was as if _he_ were the flaw, as if he was the source of its wound. Leaning against the side of a building that began far below him and continued high above him, Revan watched the passerbys, his brown eyes blankly taking in their features and an expression of dawning horror on his face. The Sith really had a poor sense of humor if this was a joke.

"Excuse me, sir."

Startled from his horrific thoughts of being trapped in some strange fantasy by a Sith device, Revan looked around him with a frown before he looked down and spotted a small, pale yellow Twi'lek child. Revan opened his mouth to speak, stopped, thought better of it and cleared his throat, pushing himself off the wall and crouching so he was eye level with the child.

"What is it, little one?"

Revan asked calmly. The child was a little girl and looked terrified and Revan sighed to himself. He always had a soft spot for little girls. Maybe he had a little sister somewhere. That trail of thought brought a scowl to Revan's face. If he had any siblings, sisters or brothers they were likely dead, destroyed in the Mandalorian wars or over Malachor V with the rest of the Mandalorian people. The scowl on the strange man's face cause the little girl to jump and nearly run away when the Twi'lek noticed something, a lightsaber sticking out of the man's belt. A lightsaber meant he was a Jedi and Jedi helped.

"Master Jedi, I was with my mother shopping for groceries when I lost track of her..."

The little girl was trembling and Revan smiled kindly to her.

"Well we aught to find her then, shouldn't we? She'll likely be worried for you...?"

The little girl noticed he seemed to be asking for her name and smiled slightly.

"Tavina"

Revan repeated the name to the girl, smiling as he stood and checked the girl's presence within the Force. Nothing too spectacular but potential if she had the right teacher. With a frown Revan realized a lot of the beings around him had that potential but it seemed to be blocked somehow.

"Its really not safe to ask strangers in dark streets for help."  
Revan chided, watching as the girl's eyes widened and she trembled slightly. Frightening the girl a little might put some sense in her head but Revan didn't want to scare her away. Looking into the Force Revan sensed the emotions rising from the sentient beings around him. Annoyance, anger, love, hate, weariness and then, at the edge of his senses, panic. Smirking, Revan reached out his hand, allowing the girl to take it as he walked swiftly through the crowds with the Twi'lek child at his side.

"Tavina!"

Revan let the girl's hand slip from his own, watching as an older version of the girl rushed to her and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Mommy!"

Revan sighed wearily, turning from the scene, intent on finding out just what was going on when he felt something pull at his cloak. The action revealed his armor briefly, but Revan turned, cutting off anyone's view to look into the face of the child's mother.

"I can't thank you enough, Master Jedi. If there is anything I can do to-"

Revan raised a hand to silence the nearly hysterical woman, smiling kindly.

"All in a day's work, Ma'am. She's curious so keep her close in the future."

The woman nodded quickly, holding her daughter tightly to herself when something registered to the Twi'lek. Revan's cloak was parted slightly to reveal the top of his very recognizable armor and the former Sith Lord caught the woman's expression. Obviously he was already well known, even if it wasn't for who he truly was. The woman backed away, ignoring her daughter's questions about what was wrong and turned, running. Revan stood calmly; his face expressionless as he watched the woman's retreat before shaking his head. Some things never changed. With a sour expression on his face, Revan pulled his cloak together tightly, moving quickly away from the undercity walkway and into a much less crowded area.

"Alright... I can't sense anyone I know... The Force feels off and the only Sith Lord I sense is far, far away. What the Hell am I doing here? And where exactly is here?"

The Force offered no answers, only a distance feeling of wrongness permeated to Revan's senses and the former Dark Lord crossed his arms over his chest, pacing back and forth as he tried to fathom what precisely was happening. Realistically there were only three possibilities. The First and simplest that he had lost his bloody mind. The second that the crystal had sent him into some delusion or alternate reality and the last, far fetched as it sounded that he had been displaced in time and somehow, ended up either in the far future or the distance past.

"That is the most absurd..."  
The sight of a holocam showing a Republic Senate meeting slowly fed into a nearby holoscreen and Revan felt a prickling sensation shoot through him that he would later remember was shock. The timestamp on the side of the reel showed the simple Basic numerals for 982 ARR. Had he somehow ended up in the past? Was the Republic really only a thousand years old. That still didn't explain the Jedi or the distant Sith. Jedi did not have lightsabers until nearly ten thousand years before and the Republic by that time had already stood for thousands of years. Hell the Jedi weren't called the Jedi when the Republic was only a millennium old. A stirring in the Force, faint though still there reassured Revan and for a brief moment, Revan thought he was mad when he sensed Bastila's distinct presence. As quickly as it was there, it was gone and the Dark Lord was breathing heavily, all but gaping at the holo. Reaching desperately for the lingering presence along the bond he shared with Bastila, Revan felt a cold pit form in his stomach.

"This is lame."

Revan decided to borrow one of Mission's descriptions of his situation. Running a gloved hand against his weary face, Revan looked skyward to the towering spires that nearly blocked the setting of Coruscant's sun. With a weary sigh, Revan accepted that he was not in his time, or stark raving mad and began to work his way upwards. Coruscant's first level would be much more hospitable at night. Or so he thought.

"Stay where you are!"

Three Coruscant Security officers had their blasters trained on Revan and the former Dark Lord stared blankly at them , deciding to play ignorance.

"I beg your pardon, sir but why am I finding myself at the ends of your weapons."

The leader of the three Security officers looked at a small datapad in his hand and then back at Revan before he called for backup. Revan watched this all with detached interest and decided to play along for a time. Perhaps he could get some information out of them.

"We know who you are, sir and if you don't want to get shot you'll put your hands behind your head and turn around."

Revan rose a brow, a small frown on his face. The Republic security officer looked back at the description of the supposed assassin that had been given by a hysterical Twi'lek woman an hour before and then back at the man before him. The man was tall, but not towering and looked to be young, though with the goatee it was difficult to tell exactly what the man's age was he looked to be near thirty and the Coruscant officer caught sight of a silver cylinder attached to the man's belt. The orders had been to follow the man and immediately call for Jedi backup but the man had been moving so quickly past them that the officer had been forced to intervene.

"You don't want to shoot me."

Revan stated, his finger rising slightly and falling. The Security officer's eyes grew blank, his face expressionless as he repeated Revan's words.

"I don't want to shoot you."

Revan nodded, watching as the other Security officers said the same thing.

"I'm not who you think I am."

Revan stated, again waving his ringer slightly. Again the officer repeated this and Revan nodded, walking past the three dazed Security officers.

"What does ARR mean?"

Revan asked, taking advantage of the guard's distraction. In a monotone, the officer spoke.

"After the Rusaan Reformation."

_Rusaan Reformation_. Revan frowned at that, waving his hand this time.

"I was never here, the man you saw was a simple businessman and you were mistaken."

The Security officers repeated Revan's statement before the former Dark Lord released them from his hold on their minds and they blinked, looking at one another in open confusion.

"Are we finished, Officer?"

Revan stated calmly, allowing a small hint of annoyance to bleed into his tone. The Security officer looked at Revan, blinking a moment before his face flushed and he apologized.

"I'm sorry, sir. With the recent assassination attempts on Senator Amidala's life we had to step up security a little. I apologize for the trouble."

Revan smiled indulgently.

"Oh I understand completely. Its good to know someone is watching out for us."

The Officer said nothing and Revan turned, leaving the still dazed Security officers in his wake, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. It didn't work and Revan soon found himself searching out for anything within the Force that was familiar once more, looking for anything to tell him this was some sick joke on the part of the True Sith. As reality began to slowly set in to Revan and the denial fled from him, the former Dark Lord of the Sith decided to reach for the Force again.

"Tell me where the bloody hell to go then."

Revan scowled as he spoke, glaring at the passerbys and trying to reign in his long temper that had since grown very short. The Force was distance, but still responded to him as if it were fuel and he an open flame and Revan flinched away from it as he sensed a deeper problem with the reality he found himself in. The Force was wounded, almost the same feeling to it as it had after Malachor V, or Taris, or Telos V, or Socorro or Cathar; except much more potent. Swallowing back the bitter taste in his throat, Revan calmly measured his options. The death of Malachor V and of Katarr felt similar, though more acute and Revan realized rather wearily that the Force was wounded by some action years before that made it smaller, diminished its presence to those who didn't know how to reach it. The seven Jedi that Revan had faced were as strong as any in his time, he realized with a start that one had even been as powerful as Malak but beneath it all lay a simple state of wrong within the Force itself.   
_"Time changes a lot..."_

Revan decided, deciding he would need to find out how long the Rusaan Reformation occurred after his own time and if there was any way to compare the events of the rift in the Force to recent events. The former Dark Lord of the Sith already had a good idea of where he would find those answers and looked ruefully towards the Jedi Temple's towering presence in the distance.

"Well this is going to be... entertaining."

Revan felt in that moment a smirk growing on his face. To say Revan bent under pressure would have been far from the truth. Revan thrived on it.

Atop the highest spire of the towering Jedi Temple, the Jedi Council sat in complete silence, each Jedi wearing a troubled expression on their normally passive faces.

"Dangerous, this man is. Target the Senator, he did not. Know his true motives, we do not."

Mace Windu looked to Master Yoda, frowning thoughtfully.

"Darth Revan. That is who he said he was. The darkness was there within him but- I've never felt a Sith Lord before but he almost felt like one of the Lost Twenty."

Yoda nodded gravely, his ears drooping slightly.

"Incomplete, the archives are. Lost much knowledge is of the Sith. Know this, I do. Cautious we must be, when facing this man."

The description of the mysterious man had been given to the local authorities by a young Twi'lek woman whom the Jedi Masters had later questioned, along with her daughter and they found it strange that the SIth would even bother helping the woman or her child as the woman stated. The Twi'lek had no idea the man was a Sith Lord and the Jedi allowed her to remain ignorant, allowing her to think the man had been as assassin and they sat silently, twelve Masters of the Jedi Order completely and totally confused.

"We should check the archives more thoroughly. There was no reference to any Darth Revan... Are you certain he is not from our... our time?"

Master Ki Adi Mundi said in a disbelieving tone. It was preposterous but then again, so was the thought of the return of the Sith a decade before. The Cerulean Jedi Master brushed a hand over his white beard and frowned at Master Yoda as the diminutive Jedi Master remained silent.

"Long are the lives of my people. Remember the dark times they do. The times before the Republic, before Rusaan."

The Jedi Order and the Republic itself had been destroyed and rebuilt a dozen times in four thousand years, all due to the actions of the SIth. While records before the Mandalorian wars still existed within the Jedi Archives, the knowledge of the brutal wars that followed the Mandalorian's and the following two thousand years was lost. Destroyed or removed by time and the Sith. The knowledge of Revan and his time were buried under the sands of time, lost.

In the office of the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious consulted his personal records and allowed an unaccustomed feeling of frustration to build within him. Darth Revan had been the first of their Order, lost to the ravages of time but parts of his tale, his teachings survived and Palpatine felt something he hadn't felt in a long time rise within him. Not since the days of his apprenticeship to Darth Plaugeis did Palpatine feel the envy burning within him. While the knowledge of many Force forms were lost, the Sith held extensive records and as such, were at a slight advantage over the Jedi. That didn't stop the Jedi from being a threat but it did make the Sith the better warriors. Frowning deeply at the records, Palpatine turned in his chair and stared at the Jedi Temple in the distance. He had been patient and could continue to do so. The appearance of Darth Revan rose many questions but Palpatine had been patient and could continue to be. History showed that often the wisest and most dangerous of tyrants were often the patient ones.

Activating a secure communications line, Palpatine pulled his hood over his face, obscuring his identity and waited patiently until his apprentice, Darth Tyrannus responded, a small blue-white hologram of the former Jedi Master appearing before him.

"We have a problem that I am certain you have sensed."

Count Dooku knelt, bowing his head and averting his eyes from Sidious' image.

"Yes, my master. I have sensed it. What does this mean in terms of our- your plans?"

Palpatine was silent a moment, frowning slowly.

"Perhaps it could work in our favor. The man obviously has no love of the Jedi. Perhaps it can be used to divert attention from us until it is too late."

Having been thinking ahead years in his plan, Palpatine shook his head.

"No, we shall allow him to continue. He will not interfere... I have foreseen it."

Count Dooku bowed as the image vanished and stood slowly, brushing off his elegant clothing before he turned and left the room to entertain prepare his speech for the arriving Senators of the Separatist movement. If his master was unconcerned, he was unconcerned but Dooku felt that perhaps, perhaps Sidious was being a bit premature in his judgement.

That Revan held no love or loyalty to the Jedi Order was a subject open to debate, even within the war hero's own mind. The artificial identity forced upon him would have been loyal to the end, though it wavered at times it was rooted in a deep personal belief in the Republic that was simply not who Revan really was. Revan had no interest in the Republic, only a fascination at its structure. Revan, the Sith Lord had been, ironically dedicated to life, to his own strength and Revan the Sith Lord felt the policies of the Old Republic and the inaction of the Jedi of his time was a direct threat to that dedication. The staggering civilian losses of the Mandalorian wars and the continued inaction of the Republic as well as the bureaucratic red tape of the Republic had reinforced those beliefs and Revan had, in a means of preserving the galaxy had taken matters into his own hands. Who Revan had been and who the Jedi tried to make him had simply could not coexist and over the months following Darth Malak's death, Revan came back to his senses so to say. The experiences of both identities remained but Revan's was dominant over the Jedi's planted identity and Revan had, understandably been quite bitter to that small detail. The Jedi had no right, yet every right to rape his mind and in the end, it had cost his closest fiend his life, at his own hands no less.

Scowling at his errant thoughts, Revan calmly approached the steps leading upwards to the Jedi Temple and crossed his arms over his chest, simply regarding the familiar structure with open disgust. He may have been a Jedi, but he preferred the title Rogue Jedi. He didn't follow the orders of the Council for the sake of the Jedi, he followed for the sake of saving lives and while he had not openly sought the Order's destruction after the destruction of the Star Forge, Revan most definitely was not a fan. The events on Katarr had affected Bastila greatly and the deaths of an entire race as well as most of what had remained of the Jedi in his time drew a sigh from Revan as he put aside his anger at the Jedi of his time. Most of them were dead and while he did not mourn their passing, he did mourn Katarr and he did mourn the loss of the younger Jedi who had no choice in the matter of their fates. The Order was simply flawed, as almost every other organization. In truth the only reason he mourned the Jedi at all was because Bastila had and that thought brought the former Sith Lord to a stop as he climbed up the steps of the Jedi Temple.

"No killing."

Revan verbally reminded himself, reigning in the wrath that burned under his skin, begging him to smash and destroy and unleash its power. If nothing else, the darkside of the Force remained as it always did, tempting and always willing to answer his call. In his mind he knew, rationally that these weren't the Jedi responsible for what had happened to him, but the human mind is a strange thing and often times will not accept what it knows as truth.

"Good evening sir."

The Jedi was abruptly thrown back against the massive doorway that sealed off the Jedi Temple from the outside world. Revan looked down at the unconscious human, likely no older then him before stepping over the Jedi and placing his mask over his face,   
"It has been anything but a _good _evening."

Revan spat, his body still tingling from the outburst of Force energy he had thrown at the unfortunate Jedi. Waving his hand, Revan watched as the doorway opened and a smirk played on his face as several of the Jedi milling about the massive entrance to the temple stopped and stared at him.

"Well hello there."

Revan said calmly, pulling one of his crimson sabers from his belt and enjoying the look of shock on several of the Jedi's faces. There was not way he could sneak into the Temple interior at night unless he felt like either climbing or trudging his way through sewers and after Taris, Revan had vowed to never go into another sewer as long as he lived. The shock on the Jedi's faces quickly gave way to wary mistrust as the man before them gave off a dark surge of energy within the Force.

"Stay where you are and drop your weapon."

Revan calmly measured his opponents. Two were Jedi Knights, looking about the same age as the one he had already knocked out and the other looked to be a Padawan, in his mid teens.

"I'm afraid I can't do that... you see every time I've let my guard down, someone tries to kill me. Its all very rude."

Smirking at the Jedi beneath his mask, Revan lowered himself into a defensive stance, keeping his aura blocked, though enough of his power slipped into the Jedi's senses to let them know who and what they were dealing with.

"Ferus, get help."

The Jedi that had initially ordered Revan to relinquish his weapons stated calmly. The Padawan, a young human turned to do just that when Revan pointed his left hand at the boy, using the Force to send him headfirst into a pillar. The Padawan was unconscious within seconds and Revan immediately activated his saber, blocking the violet blade of what he assumed was the boy's Master. Had the other Jedi joined in, Revan would have been hard pressed in knocking out the human Jedi attacking him but within seconds Revan had disarmed the woman of her weapon and had stepped past her, striking swiftly with the side of his hand at the base of the woman's neck with just enough force to knock her unconscious without permanently damaging her. The last Jedi, a Mon Calamari female was much more wary than the last opponent and Revan turned his full attention to the Jedi. Instead of attacking Revan with the other Jedi, the Mon Calamari had checked on the Padawan and had been working her way to the other Knight that had been guarding the door before she found herself at an extreme disadvantage.

"I didn't kill either of them, if you're wondering."

Revan stated, his eyes following the Mon Calamari's movements. From what Revan could tell this Jedi was weaker than the last, who most certainly had been a Jedi Guardian and watching her movements closely, Revan decided his opponent was a Jedi Sentinel, a healer perhaps and not a combatant. While still not a weapons or Force form expert, Sentinels were still strong in the Force and dangerous opponents if one were not careful.

"What do you want here?"

Bant Eerin asked calmly, feeling in the Force that her Jedi comrades were still, as the man that had attacked said, alive. Glancing down quickly, the Mon Calamari cringed slightly at her unconscious friend, Siri Tachi. Whoever the armored intruder was he had knocked Siri out fairly quickly and Bant held no delusions that she would not stand much better of a chance than Siri's Padawan, Ferus Olin had.

"I want to look at the Archives. You will accompany me."  
Revan stated. Using the Force, Revan pulled the first Jedi he had knocked unconscious within the Temple and sealed the entrance, his eyes never leaving the Mon Calamari Jedi before him.

"What about my friends."

Revan measured the meaning in the Jedi's words before reaching out with one hand and summoning the Mon Calamari's lightsaber from her hand to his own. The surge in Force energy alerted several dozen Jedi within the Temple to Revan's presence and the former Dark Lord disguised his presence further, motioning with his head for the Mon Calamari to move.

"They will be fine. More Jedi are on the way; now move before I lose my patience."

Bant complied, offering no offensive movements as she walked in front of the man and cast a look back at her fellow Jedi.

"I can always find another Jedi to unlock the archives."

The intruder's voice was as cold as Hoth, sending shivers down the peaceful Mon Calamari's spine and she began moving faster, not turning back as she led the intruder to the Jedi Archives. Jocasta Nu was present but none of the other Jedi and Revan calmly stepped forward, wrapping his arm around Bant's neck and holding her own inactive lightsaber to her throat.

"You there."

The Jedi Librarian turned, her expression going from confused to stern at the sight of the intruder.

"How dare you defile this place with your presence. Be gone!"

The Archivist suddenly looked very much like Jedi Master Atris in Revan's mind and the former Dark Lord of the Sith unconsciously tightened his hold on Bant's neck in his anger.

"Shut up you old fool and do as I say or this will not be the last Jedi I kill."

Bant stiffened, blinking at Jocasta Nu. In truth she had only gone along because she wanted her friends to be away from the danger and now, she was prepared to die if it would keep the intruder away from the Jedi's records. The knowledge was simply too dangerous to have fall into the hands of a corrupt Sith or Dark Jedi.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow you access to these archives, Sith Lord."

Bant fought the fear rising in her and closed her eyes, calmly drawing on the Force. From the man holding her hostage she felt no threat directed towards her but to the elderly Archivist. Snapping her eyes open Bant opened her mouth to warn Jocasta before the Jedi Archivist began turning red, then blue as her hands rose to her throat.  
"Don't do this."

Bant asked frantically, her panic beginning to outweigh her training. Revan sneered beneath his mask, calmly measuring how much air he allowed past the stubborn Jedi Librarian's throat. It wouldn't take much more to kill the old mynock but then, he wasn't here to kill anyone unless they left him no choice.

"Just a little more."

Revan stated calmly as Bant began calling the Force to herself, trying to block the attack on her fellow Jedi. Before that could happen though, Bant felt a shark pain in her body, beginning from where Revan had pinched a nerve on her neck and she quickly lost her concentration. Jocasta Nu collapsed slowly, her consciousness slipping away and Bant watched as the Jedi's struggles to breath ceased and she slowly began breathing.

"There then."

Revan stated, releasing Bant. Bant rushed to Jocasta's side immediately, though Revan activated her stolen saber and pointed it towards her in silent warning. Bant moved her hands above her head, showing she wasn't going to go for Jocasta's weapon and stood. Revan's eyes traveled to the busts of Jedi lining the archives, their features captured perfectly to pass on the legacy of their actions. Most Revan did not recognize but a few he did.

"Access the archives and search for the name, Taya Kenobi."

Bant, having taken position near a console froze at the name. This intruder wasn't after information on Obi-Wan's family, was he? Opening her mouth to speak, Bant was silenced as a pressure began building on her throat.

"I have no time for games, Jedi. Search for the name or I kill the old librarian. Then I kill you and then I go back and kill your friends."

Swallowing, Bant turned back to the screen. After a couple of minutes of complete silence and Bant staring at the screen, Revan activated Bant's stolen lightsaber and lowered it to Jocasta Nu's unconscious throat.  
"You Jedi are too sheltered. I will carry out my threat if you do not comply."

Bant closed her eyes, looking to the Force for answers. When that had none to give her, the Mon Calamari stood calmly, turned to Revan and stared into the slit of his mask.

"I can't."

Bant would not betray her friend and she hoped by standing, she would draw the Sith Lord's attention from his hostage. Revan calmly lowered the blade so it was grazing the fabric of Jocasta's collar. The fabric began to burn in hot orange cinders and Bant began trembling.

"I will not ask again."

Revan stated, his voice emotionless. Bant looked down at the elderly Jedi Librarian and then to the intruder, her bulbous eyes slowly beginning to water. She couldn't betray Obi-Wan and she couldn't allow the Sith access to the Archives.

"I can't..."


	3. Chapter 2: You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 2: You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry

"What in the blazes?"

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood abruptly and reached into the Force, frowning at the sudden outburst of Force energy near the entrance of the Temple. Setting aside the mission log from their recent mission on Ansion, Obi-Wan quickly turned, seeing that his apprentice Anakin Skywalker had also sensed the disturbance.

"Master?"  
Anakin questioned, his brow furrowed heavily as he searched for the source of the disturbance. Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes, searching the Force and finding a small, barely perceptible disturbance within the foyer of the Jedi Temple.

"Lets go."

Anakin nodded grimly, his face set in a tight frown as he and his Master joined a dozen other Jedi in the hallways of the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan hadn't bothered telling Anakin about the Council meeting earlier that evening, where he had been told in no simple terms he and Anakin would be guarding Senator Amidala the next morning. The thought of seeing the young Senator brought mixed feeling up within Obi-Wan. While it would be nice to see his friend again, he knew Anakin had been harboring a dangerous attachment to the former Queen of Naboo and he was loathe to have _that_ conversation with Anakin. It would bring up too many bad memories of himself and Siri and Qui-Gon.

"What was it, Master Kenobi?"

A Jedi Padawan, slightly younger than Anakin asked. Obi-Wan shook his head, not quite knowing himself.

"Go find Master Windu and Master Yoda."

Obi-Wan ordered. The Padawan nodded, turning and heading to the lift that would take her to the Jedi Council chambers and Obi-Wan, Anakin and several other Jedi quickly joined them in another lift that would take them to the ground level of the Temple.

Meanwhile, Revan was calmly staring at the Mon Calamari Jedi before him, sensing her conflict. Obviously the name Kenobi meant something to the Jedi and Revan wanted, needed to know what. Maybe he should try a different approach.

"Look up the name Bastila Shan."

Bant started at the man's voice. It brokered no arguments and while he hadn't carried out his threat, Bant still feared for her friend's lives. The Temple was slowly awakening to the disturbance within its walls and the Mon Calamari reached for the Force to send a warning to her fellow Jedi when something happened she had never thought possible before. The Force retreated from her grasp and she felt a pain growing in the center of her skull. Eyes widening, Bant looked at the intruder, seeing that he had turned his attention from threatening Jocasta Nu to summoning the Force and that he was somehow draining its strength from her when she tried to reach for it.  
"I can do much more, my dear. I just want to know what happened to her. She's long dead so don't worry about my intentions towards her."

An emotion had flickered in the man's voice, barely perceptible but Bant heard the slight waver in the man's tone and she collected herself quickly. Turning back to the console, Bant entered her code and then the name, watching as a series of results appeared before her. Before she knew it she was again being held hostage by Revan's arm as he pulled her back, resting her again inactive saber against her throat with his left arm while his right shot forward, entering data almost too fast for Bant to track. Curious and having nothing else to do but be utterly terrified, Bant looked down at the monitor frowning as she read.

"You came here for a history lesson? Why didn't you just ask?"

Bant's voice was completely confused and Revan frowned. Why did Jedi have to be so bloody passive. The Mon Calamari's compassion for her fellow Jedi was reminding Revan too much of Bastila's and he suddenly had the feeling Bastila would be very disappointed in him.   
"You heard of the attempt on the Senator from Naboo's life this morning?"

Revan said calmly. Bant swallowed, already having recognized the man's armor and features as those of the would-be assassin.

"Don't you find it strange that I would go through all that trouble to get into the Chancellor's office and take the Senator hostage if I would not kill her, or anyone else for that matter?"  
The logic made sense, though the question rose what had the mysterious dark Sith been doing in the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic's office.

"Why were you there?"

Revan chuckled at the question, feeling the Jedi tense.

"A good question. Lets just say you should never touch strange crystals on Korriban."

Korriban. The mere mention of that dark, decaying place was enough to cause Bant to blanch.

"Hard as it is to believe. I am not from this time. Look."

Turning her attention back to files within the Jedi Archives that had not been accessed for hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years, Bant saw an image of a man in the same armor as the one holding her hostage and she frowned.

"I'm going to let you go and give you your weapon back if you promise not to attack me."

Revan said calmly, something in his voice demanding that Bant agree. Bant swallowed, nodding and she was immediately released.

"I can't keep that promise if you attack anymore Jedi."

Bant stated. Revan nodded, tossing the Jedi her lightsaber and turning his back to her as he frowned down at the information before him. Ancient history to the Jedi and without the access code he could not look further into the archives to search for any other information. Reading further into Bastila's information, Revan frowned when right after the events of the Star Forge it abruptly ended.

"Come here, Jedi."

Revan's voice held a hint of anger at the incomplete information and he turned, seeing the Mon Calamari moving Jocasta Nu into a more comfortable position.

"This information is incomplete. Where is the rest?"

Revan flinched at the urgency in his tone but said nothing more as the Mon Calamari Jedi Knight moved in front of him and then checked the archives once more.

"The records following the Battle of the Star Forge are incomplete though I'm surprised you don't know that. Why are you dressed like this Sith Lord?"

Bant asked, already having a fairly good idea, as far fetched as it sounded as to what was happening. The armored man had said he wasn't from their time himself. The Mon Calamari checked the Force again to make sure the man was presenting no threats towards her and frowned. He was definitely a good actor.

"Do I really need to answer that?"  
Revan stated, glaring at the Jedi. Revan most certainly did not like repeating himself. Bant shook her head, looking down at the image of the Jedi Bastila Shan.

"What was she to you?"

Bant asked, her tone soft so as not to provoke Revan. Revan stared at the image, brushing his gloved hand over the screen.

"My conscience."

Turning his masked features to the Mon Calamari, Revan smiled.

"Sorry about all this. Its been a stressful day."

Thrown, Bant blinked at the man who had been insane enough to break into the Jedi Temple. Was he bipolar or something?

"Who is Taya Kenobi? For that matter who are you?"

The Mon Calamari asked distractedly. She had thought a Sith would have taken every opportunity to kill Jedi and yet, there was no threat for her life coming from the man, just random bouts of controlled anger that he directed accordingly. Superb control if nothing else. With a weary sigh, Revan answered.

"My name is Revan. I'm from a likely long dead Mandalorian Clan and to clarify, I was once Darth Revan, Dark Lord of the Sith."

Hearing him admit to being a Sith Lord and suspecting it were two different things and Bant felt a renewed sensation of fear rise within her.

"Unless your Jedi Masters are named Vrook Lamar, Atris, Dorak Quinn, Vandar Tokare or Zhar Lestin I have no immediate quarrels with them... though I may wish to engage them in a philosophical debate over the current nature of the Force..."

Bant blinked at the man, feeling a strange sense of frustration growing within her normally calm and kind demeanor.

"I beg your pardon?"

Bant asked, not recognizing any of the names. Revan motioned to a bust of a Jedi Master from the same era as the Jedi he had looked up on the Archive console.

"I am Revan Bloodraven. The man who became Darth Revan who was captured by the Jedi Council and given a mind wipe and reprogrammed like some blasted droid and used to kill his best friend, Darth Malak. All against my own will of course. You can't tell me you've never heard of me? Even I know of the Battle of Korbos and that was three thousand years before my time."

Walking to the bust, Revan narrowed his eyes at the familiar features and scoffed.

"You don't have her eyes right. Atris would lose her mind over one flawed detail. Quite the record keeper if a bit short-sighted."

Bant looked at the bust of the ancient Jedi Master Atris and then to the mysterious former Sith Lord if what the man said was true. The Force did not detect a lie and the Mon Calamari Jedi opened her mouth, stopping herself and merely staring unabashed at the man.

"You're Darth Revan. _The_ Darth Revan."

It was not common knowledge though it was available to all. Figures in history were often forgotten with the more tangible and current figures and Revan was a name few remembered. Revan said nothing, merely waiting for the Jedi to accept it.

"How are you four thousand years from your own time?"

Bant asked finally, placing a hand on her head as if the thought was painful. Revan smirked.

"As I said. Never go to Korriban and touch strange crystals."

Bant strained on her knowledge of ancient history and the Sith and found it severely lacking. The name Revan was familiar to her though only because she had written a report long ago for her Master Tahl, may she be one with the Force, over the Mandalorian wars following the nearly complete destruction of the Mandalorians at the Battle of Galidraan under Jedi Master Dooku. While the reasons were sound for the Jedi to intervene, the corrupt Governor of Galidraan had in truth hired the Mandalorians to silence a rising rebellion on his world and had refused to pay them, turning to the Jedi and claiming the Mandalorians had begun murdering politicians. The True Mandalorians, the members of the Mandalorians opposed to the corrupt Mandalorian Death Watch were annihilated in the following battle though the Jedi paid heavily in the battle, only two Mandalorian survivors, Jango Fett and Silas survived. The two Mandalorians were handed over to the Governor of Galidraan where they were sold into slavery. It had been one in a long line of mistakes that had eventually led to Master Dooku leaving the Jedi Order. The battle between Mandalorian and Jedi could have been avoided, but Jedi had seemed to forget over the centuries that it is never a good idea to challenge a Mandalorian.

"You're a Mandalorian?"

Revan's eyes narrowed at the Jedi's tone. She almost sounded sorry for him.   
"What does that have to do with anything?"

Revan spat, his eyes narrowing as he studied the Jedi before him. The Mon Calamari was fairly young for one of her race and looked to be a little soft in Revan's opinion. She was short and not built to be a fighter though healthy and with an eye roll Revan pegged the Jedi for a bleeding-heart type.  
"The Clans don't exist anymore... The only reason I even know about your name was from a report I researched over the Mandalorians nearly twelve years ago..."

Bant suddenly felt a curious probe on the edge of her mind and knew that Revan was trying to read her thoughts. Bant sensed a threat directed towards her in the Force and her eyes widened when she realized that he had caught on to her stray thoughts.

"Show me."

Pointing at the console, Revan glared at the Jedi, his anger focusing his actions with crystal clarity. Bant complied, entering the information of the recent Mandalorian Civil War and Revan read the information quickly, making a disgusted noise.

"And it didn't occur to the Jedi to investigate this? Or to maybe check which sect of Mandalorians they were fighting?"

Thinking of the Mandalorians brought Revan's mind to Canderous and then to unpleasant memories of the war. While the Mandalorians had been merciless raiders, burning and pillaging worlds and taking slaves to feed their ranks, the Mandalorians were not bloodthirsty savages. The codes of conduct and honor within the Mandalorian ranks was meant to remove weakness from an individual and strive for the peak of perfection as warriors. The system had been corrupted by outside interference from the True Sith of his time and through weaker-minded individuals within the Mandalorian's ranks. Mandalorians detested weakness of the body and weakness of the mind and they sought to rid it from their culture; something outsiders didn't seem to understand. A quick and painless death given from a Mandalorian to a foe was the only mercy a Mandalorian would allow themselves to show. Their world was harsh, their youth harsh and as such, the Mandalorians were harsh. Seeing that some had tried to change their ways and were promptly wiped out by the Jedi Order disgusted Revan. As he had said before, some things never changed.

"Well... I wouldn't want to be whoever did this when Siri wakes up."

Obi-Wan Kenobi smirked at his own humor. Siri would be in a really foul mood when she awoke. Making certain the three unconscious Jedi were fine, Obi-Wan and Anakin were merely waiting in the foyer. Unconscious Jedi was a trap, a lure and they would wait to spring the trap. A frown played on Obi-Wan's bearded face as he rose a hand and brushed his beard absently, thinking.

"Anakin, do you sense anything off?"

Anakin, having been distracted most of the day by the holo reports of the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala's life stared off at nothing in particular, thinking. Obi-Wan looked to his unresponsive apprentice and sighed.

"Anakin!"

The Jedi Knight said a little louder. Anakin snapped from his daze, apologizing and reached through the Force. Frowning, Anakin sensed a small disturbance, almost invisible within the archives.

"There's a disturbance in the archives..."

Obi-Wan nodded, having sensed it as well and was silently pleased with Anakin's progress. The boy had a rather short attention span but then it had been a long mission on Ansion and he couldn't really blame Anakin for being tired.

"Well, lets go."

Moving from the Healers and various other Jedi that had gathered in the foyer, Anakin and Obi-Wan worked their way to the archives, Obi-Wan activating his communicator and speaking with Master Yoda.  
"Master Yoda and Master Windu will meet us there."

Anakin nodded distractedly, his hand removing his lightsaber from his belt. Feeling a thrum of excitement race through him the Padawan missed his Master's sour expression.

_"Honestly that boy is almost too eager for a fight."_

Preferring a level head to a lightsaber fight, Obi-Wan calmed himself, keeping pace with Anakin's large strides until they were outside of the Archives.   
"Come on, Master. We can take whoever is in there."

Obi-Wan's rather sour expression at the thought of a coming fight was quickly replaced by a concerned frown as he sensed Jocasta Nu, unconscious and his friend Bant within the archives.

"I think you're right, Anakin. We must be cautious though."

Anakin nodded, waiting for his Master while Obi-Wan drew his saber and opened the doors to the Archives.

_"Finally. Took bloody long enough."_

Revan had been wondering how long it would take for the Jedi to figure out he was in their archives and he smirked at the two Jedi before him, his smirk vanishing as he sensed the power rolling from the two Jedi.

_"That boy is almost as powerful as-"_

Revan's thoughts were cut off when said boy activated his lightsaber and charged him. The older of the two Jedi had yelled something to the younger, likely a warning but the younger Jedi was already striking for Revan. Anakin himself saw red when he saw the familiar form of Senator Amidala's would-be assassin. Blinded in his fury, Anakin leapt forward, looking rather fearsome and impressive in his powerful Force leap.

"Anakin no!"

Bant all but shouted, stopping Obi-Wan in his tracked as he had moved forward to help his headstrong Padawan. Obi-Wan and Bant both cringed when Anakin's indistinguishable blur descended on the intruder, both expecting the man to meet a rather grisly demise. Revan had abandoned all pretenses of passivity when he sensed the burst in the young Padawan's aura and he handled himself as best he could since he had no time to grab his weapon to counter the boy. Reaching out with one hand, Revan grasped Anakin's forearm, sliding back a foot before he caught his footing from the boy's weight falling on him and he drew back his other hand, slamming a solid fist into the side of Anakin's face. Anakin's grip on his saber faltered and Revan snatched it in his own hand, calmly stepping back and allowing Anakin Skywalker to fall to the ground, unconscious.

"That was rude."

Revan remarked, smirking at the shocked expressions of the two Jedi Knights within the room. Obi-Wan's active saber rose slightly as the Jedi Knight moved warily towards the intruder.

"Oh none of that. The boy had it coming."

Revan stated, smirking as he looked down at the unconscious Padawan at his feet. Powerful or no, the boy was a human and humans made mistakes as easily as anyone else.

"Bant, are you alright."

Obi-Wan asked, knowing asking Anakin would have been pointless. The Jedi Knight had been shocked that his Padawan was disabled to easily but then, it had looked like his opponent was a seasoned fighter and his attack had been a reaction. The dark energy rising in the intruder as well as the description of Senator Amidala's would-be assassin was enough to keep Obi-Wan wary while his concern for his Padawan kept him from moving forward. In a split-second the armored Sith could kill Anakin and that simply wouldn't do. Revan, meanwhile knew he had been lucky. The boy had nearly sliced him in two and only the split-second reaction of a seasoned warrior, with the Force behind his movements had saved his life. The anger in the boy had been distracting but not exactly overpowering and Revan had managed to narrowly save his own life, for the ten thousandth time.

"Catch."  
Revan tossed Bant Anakin's lightsaber and crossed his arms over his chest, regarding Anakin with open curiosity on his face. All Obi-Wan and Bant saw was the man's masked features turn down to Anakin. Obi-Wan frowned.

"The boy is powerful... Almost as powerful as Malak... maybe even more so. He has no control though."

Obi-Wan had no idea who Malak was but felt himself agreeing with the armored intruder.

"He is young."

Revan scoffed.

_"At his age I was a General of the Republic and fighting off Mandalorians. I outgrew my pride long before."_

Revan muttered to himself, too quiet for Obi-Wan or bant to hear. Revan's sour expression turned to a smirk.

"Well... not really..."

Chuckling to some private joke about his own arrogance, Revan turned his full attention to Obi-Wan, kicking Anakin in the side to make sure he hadn't killed the boy. Anakin groaned in pain and shifted slightly and Revan sighed. That could have been a fatal mistake and the boy needed to learn. The Master, as he had pegged him, was much more calm; measuring his opponent before he made any offensive moves. With a wry smile, Revan realized the Master reminded him of Taya Kenobi. She had always been one to put too much thought into a plan. Not that her strategies weren't brilliant but the Exiled and Force-blind General simply cared too much. Not that it was a bad thing but Revan clearly recalled he and Malak both growing bored of looking at body after body and it had simply numbed them while Taya had grown more and more disturbed by the violence that surrounded the Mandalorian wars. It was likely part of the reason Malachor V had cut her off from the Force.   
"Is he even listening to me?"

Obi-Wan asked Bant. Bant shook her head, staring at Revan as he merely stood beside Anakin's unconscious form, arms crossed and unmoving. Obi-Wan had been asking rather calmly what the Sith had wanted and then had quickly gotten the impression the man he was speaking to was either extremely rude or lost in his own thoughts.  
"Should I attack him?"

Obi-Wan wondered aloud, looking to his relatively unharmed friend. Bant shook her head, a frown pulling on her fish-like features.

"He's been holding back since he came into the Temple, Obi-Wan. I don't think it would be a good idea."

Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed wearily, turning his head when Masters Yoda and Windu entered the archives with half a dozen Jedi Knights behind them. Upon seeing Revan standing over the unconscious form of the Chosen One, the Jedi stopped abruptly.

"Master Kenobi?"

Mace asked, not quite sure what had happened but knowing first hand that his opponent was powerful. Obi-Wan shook his head, keeping his eyes on Revan while he muttered a quick response about Anakin still having much to learn.

"Kenobi? Is that your name?"

Revan asked, feeling like he was in some sick joke again. It would only be too ironic that the Jedi Knight would be named Kenobi. Narrowing his eyes, Revan could see some familiar features, mainly the eyes and hair and frowned. Looking for a trace of his old friend in an ancestor four thousand years after her time was like trying to compare sandstone and granite since they came from the same earth.

"What do you want?"

Obi-Wan asked calmly, his saber unwavering. Revan's mask was fixed on his face and the Jedi Knight knew he was being scrutinized.

"I got what I came for. Now I want to go to bloody sleep..."

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow in confusion, looking to Bant and then to Mace. Yoda, having been studying Revan with a frown and narrowed eyes suddenly wore a shocked expression.

"Young, you make me feel."

Yoda stated, staring at Revan with surprise. It hadn't occurred to any of the Jedi to look into the archives for a Darth Revan and it had taken Yoda's ancient mind some time to make the comparisons to a subject he had not looked upon for hundreds of years. The dark times before the Sith were finally, or so they thought; annihilated at Rusaan. Revan regarded the tiny Jedi Master with a smirk. Finally someone was bloody figuring things out on their own.

"My deepest apologies for my actions earlier, Master Jedi."

Revan bowed, not really meaning his words but attempting to diffuse a potentially lethal situation. The Jedi Knights flanking Yoda and Mace looked as lost as Obi-Wan at that but said nothing, waiting for their Masters. Mace was regarding Revan with a stern expression, glancing at Yoda with a frown as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"Mean that, you do not."  
Yoda stated, feeling the man's amusement at being caught. It was as if the danger excited him, as if it were all a big cosmic joke. Revan chuckled, holding his hands out to his sides to show he was unarmed.   
"Master Yoda?"

Obi-Wan asked, finally deciding it was a waste of time to just stand there and stare at the strange Sith.

"Danger to the Jedi, he is not. Danger to Senator Amidala, he is not."

Anakin Skywalker groaned, wondering absently if someone had gotten the registration number of the speeder that had hit him when he felt a very powerful presence in the Force, slowly revealing itself next to him. With his eyes snapping open, the Chosen One looked up in surprise to see the Sith he had attacked still alive and looking to be in one piece. His mind catching up with his actions, Anakin felt a flush of anger and shame color his cheeks as his opponent looked down at him with a faceless mask.

"Ah, you're awake."

A bruise was forming on Anakin's cheek and the Padawan merely glared defiantly at the man, wondering where his lightsaber had gone to. Bant sighed, handing Obi-Wan Anakin's lightsaber and Obi-Wan called to Anakin, tossing the weapon to his Padawan as Anakin lay on the ground, his anger giving way to confusion. Why weren't they attacking the assassin?

"Anakin, how many times must I tell you-"

Anakin cut Obi-Wan off with an eye roll.

"I know, I know. This weapon is my life."

Seemingly forgetting the ancient former Sith Lord towering over him, Anakin stood, staring at his Master with a frown before looking back at the intruder that was standing less than two meters from him.   
"Care for another round?"  
Revan asked, smirking at the flush in the boy's cheeks. Obviously the boy thought he was better than he was. It almost reminded Revan of himself when he had first joined the Order but then, necessity had pretty much stolen that arrogance from him and he was left with only his training and the Force. Thankfully his Master Kreia and the Mandalorians before her had been excellent teachers. Opening his mouth to respond with a witty and scathing comeback, Anakin realized that Masters Windu and Yoda were present and snapped his mouth shut, instead silently glaring at his opponent as he backed away cautiously. Seeing that his Master's saber was still active, Anakin followed suit, drawing the complete attention of Revan.

_"Uh oh."_

Anakin chastised himself, realizing the armored man had just asked if he wanted to get knocked out again and by activating his weapon he had challenged him. Moving his hand to one of his lightsabers, Revan smirked.

"Have at it, boy."

Preparing to go to the aid of his Padawan, Obi-Wan was stopped my Yoda's cane as the Jedi Master shook his head solemnly to the Jedi Knight.

"Danger to Anakin, he is not. Curious I am to see his skill."

Mace frowned, sensing the same thing. Something was seriously wrong if Sith Lords could walk freely in the Jedi Temple and not want to kill Jedi. Thinking for the briefest moment that he had passed out during a Council meeting and was dreaming, Mace's eyes narrowed as he watched the man before him turned slightly to his left, pulling his lightsaber parallel to the ground and aiming it directly at Anakin. Mace looked on in utter shock. Revan was stepping into the incomplete seventh form of Lightsaber combat known as Juyo, which he himself had finished a variant of and named Vaapad. It was suicidal to practice the incomplete form, but then again, the intruder was powerful and skilled.

Revan calmly adopted the seventh form of lightsaber combat, lowering his form slightly as he had moments before Bastila and her fellow Jedi had challenged him on the bridge of his flagship in what felt like a lifetime before. The former Dark Lord waited, his crimson saber humming in the air as he watched his opponent's form shift. While the Jedi of his era had many Masters of the controversial form, only three had actually Mastered it. Kavar, Vrook and Taya Kenobi. Revan smirked as he saw the confusion on his opponent's face. The boy didn't know the form and as such, he acted accordingly, using his strongest form. Revan moved his saber in a deceptively simple arc, capturing Anakin's blue saber with his red and the battle began. Anakin was hard pressed to block the three nearly simultaneous blows Revan returned.

Mace watched the fight with surprise. While Vaapad was a variant of Juyo, Juyo itself was much more complex, requiring a Mastery of the Force, the boy and the mind and it had taken him a lifetime to perfect his own variant. Watching the blurred strikes of Revan's crimson saber, Mace felt a degree of respect for the intruder. While it was not as flashy or as athletic as the third form, Ataru, Vaapad allowed a good defense while providing a superb offense and as he watched, Mace could see that he could learn quite a bit from watching a Master of Juyo in action.

Seeing the familiar movements of Revan's blade, Obi-Wan blanched. Darth Maul had used a similar fighting style blended with Ataru and unconsciously the Jedi Knight took a step forward.

"Interfere, you should not."

Yoda cautioned. Obi-Wan swallowed back the fear and anger he felt at the reminder of Darth Maul and channeled it through the Force, calming himself as he watched the duel. With a frown, Obi-Wan realized Anakin hadn't been able to pressed the attack and was falling back onto using elements of the third form, Soresu to block. Anakin was sorely at a disadvantage and Obi-Wan waited for the inevitable. A burst of Force energy soon had Revan on the defensive and Revan utilized Juyo's speed to intercept the powerful strikes of Anakin's Djem So form.

Revan smirked beneath his mask. The boy had adopted Malak's fighting style and all he needed to do was block to wear the boy down. Revan's smirk stayed in place for some time before, after nearly an hour of Anakin raining furious blows down upon him and he scowled, adopting Soresu to hold his ground, Revan finally struck, pushing forward with his own style of the second form, Makashi and used the boy's own power against him. Revan found himself watching the eerily familiar strikes, so like Malak's and the endless pit of power before him that in his time had made Malak one of the deadliest lightsaber duelists of their era. The boy was good but not used to Makashi's fluid and precise movements.

More Jedi had gathered to watch the battle, including most of the Masters and the Jedi Revan had knocked unconscious had all regained consciousness and had gathered to watch their attacker's skill. It had become apparent that whoever the man was, he was strong since he had not faltered once in his furious duel with Anakin. Anakin himself could go on all night if needed and the Padawan saw that his opponent was either getting tired or he was getting impatient.

"You're doing well, boy. Almost as good as Malak was but you've left a lot of openings."

The duel slowed to a stop, Anakin's breathing was slightly heavier than normal and a thin layer of sweat matted his brow but the boy looked more energized than exhausted.

"The name is Anakin."

Anakin stated, giving the armored man before him a hard stare. How the Force was the guy so fast with all that armor on. Not sure what to think, Anakin for once in his apprenticeship remained silent after that, studying his opponent critically. He had the feeling that his opponent was holding back while he had given the fight nearly all he had. The anger over Padme's assassination attempt had diminished enough for him to think clearly and he regarded Revan with more curiosity than animosity.

"Who are you? And why did you try to kill Padm- Senator Amidala?"

Revan silently thanked the Force. Some people were just too thick-headed to look at the facts.

"First off, if I was trying to kill this Senator Amidala why would I leave her there at the Senate building or for that matter why wouldn't I have just let gravity and Coruscant's lovely Duracrete do the dirty work for me?"

Anakin had nothing to say to that, already having some of the details of the _assassination_ attempt. With an embarrassed smile, Anakin rubbed his forehead with the sleeve of his tunic.

"I guess that makes sense."

A nervous laugh and a respectful look from the Padawan surprised Obi-Wan. Watching the exchange the Jedi Knight sighed, wondering if Anakin had finally been humbled or if he would be forced to again endure his apprentice's growing arrogance.

"My name is Revan Bloodraven. You did well, Anakin."  
Revan deactivated his lightsaber, extending his hand to Anakin. Anakin followed suit, deactivating his own saber and shaking Revan's hand.

"Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker."

Revan nodded, releasing Anakin and pulling back his hood with one hand as his other attached his saber to his belt.  
"Well my good Jedi friends, I have a lovely tale for all of you if you'll listen and you can use the Force to tell me if I'm a liar."

Revan hoped they didn't think he was insane for actually believing what he was about to tell the dozens of Jedi around him but then, he hadn't killed anyone yet and that would go a long ways in his side of the story. Especially since they thought he was a Dark Lord of the Sith. Obi-Wan Kenobi rose a brow, having long ago attached his own saber to his belt and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at his apprentice critically before back to Revan.

"This, I have to hear."

Obi-Wan stated, seeing a very angry Siri Tachi barge into the room.

"Siri-"

The fiery Jedi Knight cut Obi-Wan off with a glare, turning her blazing blue eyes to the intruder.

"You!"

Siri pointed, her blonde hair tied back into a ponytail to keep it from her eyes. Revan suddenly felt threatened for the first time since entering the Jedi Temple and calmly pulled off his mask, fixing the very angry Jedi Knight with an evil smirk.

"Sorry about your Padawan. And your pride."

Siri Tachi stalked towards the man, ignoring Anakin's frantic gesturing and the other Jedi's looks of amusement. Crossing her arms stubbornly, Siri Tachi regarded the man before her, taking in his smirk, his well-trimmed goatee and his shoulder length hair. Tilting her head to the side, Siri looked at the man's armor and then into his eyes, suddenly feeling uneasy at the stirring within the Force she felt when her eyes connected with his. It wasn't lust or love or whatever someone might mistake it for, no. In the man's eyes Siri saw power, she saw a small bit of insanity and, she saw something she couldn't identify. It was almost as if the Force itself was tangible within the man's gleaming brown eyes.

"Sorry about this."  
Siri spat, delivering a well-placed kick to Revan's crotch. Caught completely off guard, Revan took the blow with the grace and dignity of any man as he dropped to his knees, his hands holding the protesting area and yelling out in pain as he sat there, trying to regain control of himself.

"Oh bloody Hell that was uncalled for!"  
Revan shouted, in too much pain to do anything but kneel there, cringing as pain shot through his damaged man parts. Siri smirked viciously, her work done with Anakin, Obi-Wan, Mace and the other Male Jedi present all cringed in sympathy. Women would never truly understand how much that hurts.

AN: Wow, that was a long chapter. I corrected my earlier mistake of Naboo in the previous chapter and I decided to end this one on a lighter note. Now that Revan had finally been welcomed to the Jedi Temple we'll get to see some more back story to Attack of the Clones. I had to use a bunch of fillers in this chapter to get out who and what Revan is as well as his reactions to the strange time he finds himself in. I hope you can all follow my reasoning behind the Force being poisoned or weakened as I referred to it. Without the Force being in Balance the Jedi have, over the course of centuries atrophied in their connection to the Force and while they still possess the same power in the Force, they are considerably weaker because of this result. The Sith are at the advantage at this point because they can bend the Force more to their will. Sith use the Force as a tool while Jedi look to it for guidance and strength. It is that simple outlook that makes the Jedi's connection so much weaker. The Force is weakened and the Jedi, instead of delving deeper into the Force for answers wait for it to respond to them. Revan is a bit more straightforward and as such still has a strong connection to the Force and can still manipulate it as he would in his time. The comparisons of power I hope helped but we shall see how this turns out... I really have no idea where I am going with this fic so... yea. Enjoy.


	4. Chapter 3: You Have Got to Be Kidding

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: I Don't like wasting paragraphs explaining my stories to readers, hopefully my work will speak for itself in regards to your questions. After all, what kind of story would it be if I spent half the time responding to reviews? I appreciate the input of all my readers and I encourage you to continue giving me feedback, positive or critical in the future.

Chapter 3: You Have Got to Be Kidding

After getting over a very painful strike from a very angry Jedi, Revan was sitting calmly against the base of one of the Jedi Archives' computer processors, looking up at the Jedi standing around him.

"So after Katarr I decided to do something about the Sith. I'd been remembering more and more and- after that crystal I remember everything as if it just happened yesterday. I tried to get the crystal to take me to the Dark Lord of the Sith and instead it sends me to the good Chancellor's office and about four thousand years off my target. I suppose this is what I get for trusting something the Ancient Sith created to work."

Revan had pretty much been sitting on the floor explaining who and what he was to the Jedi gathered around him. Most wore blank, slightly confused expressions while a few were still skeptical. The Force had told all of the Jedi that Revan was not lying but then, it wouldn't be the first time a Jedi was successfully deceived.  
"This is preposterous."  
Revan stood slowly, looking from face to face to see who had spoken. Smirking as he spotted an older Cerulean Jedi Master, Revan pointed his hand at the man, waiting for the situation to sink in. Jedi Master Ki Adi Mundi frowned as the supposed redeemed Sith Lord from the past pointed at him. Attempting to say something, the Jedi Master realized, to his horror that he could not move. Frozen in place, the Jedi Master was powerless as Revan walked slowly towards him, only stopping when several Jedi moved forward to protect him.

"Enough."

Mace Windu finally stated, having seen and heard enough. Revan shrugged, releasing Ki Adi Mundi and watching as the Jedi Master straightened himself, reigning in his momentary fear when Revan had used the Force-stasis attack on him.  
"One of many abilities I can teach you."

Revan stated calmly, absently tossing his mask into the air and catching it. Mace Windu stared at the former Sith Lord's actions with a stern expression.

"Do you have some type of attention span defect?"

Mace asked, the absolute boredom he sensed from Revan making him impatient as well. Revan smiled calmly, shaking his head.

"I'm normally very patient but sitting in here and explaining myself to you four times and being called a liar is not exactly the most fascinating event of my life."

Anakin Skywalker smirked at that. He'd never seen anyone aside from Qui Gon stand up to Mace Windu and he was curious to see what would happen. The Korun Jedi Master's stern expression grew even more stern and Revan did a double take.

"How did you do that?"

Revan asked, diverting attention from himself. Mace frowned, looking around at his fellow Jedi before back at Revan.

"Do that?"

Mace asked, sensing he wouldn't like the answer. Revan's smirk reinforced his belief and Mace sighed when the former Sith Lord answered.

"Well you looked almost exactly like Master Vrook there. It was a fine impersonation. The lack of hair helped though..."

Revan seemed to be lost in his own little world and the Jedi, not for the first time that evening began to wonder if he was completely insane. Mace, knowing he'd been insulted chose to say nothing, instead glaring at the disrespectful time traveler before him.

"I think we've had enough excitement for this evening."

Mace finally decided. The thought that they had spent most of the day looking for and reflecting on the man had not done his mood any good and without another word, Mace turned and left, intent on getting a good night's rest. Revan silently kept score of how many Jedi he could annoy in one day and smiled to himself as he realized he was surely winning. Jedi patience only went so far and it was good to know one's limits. A majority of the Jedi assembled also left, having had enough excitement for one night and Revan was soon left alone with Master Yoda, Bant, Obi-Wan, Siri and Anakin. Obi-Wan and Siri exchanged a look before they too left and Anakin quickly followed his Master before Yoda's voice stopped Obi-Wan's retreat.

"Stay a moment, you should. Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan stopped, sighing as he watched Siri go without a look back at him and turned, reentering the library. Jocasta Nu had been treated and decided to turn in for the night. The excitement of the evening having been a little too much for the ancient librarian and Bant had assured Jocasta that she would keep an eye on the archives. Bant was calmly browsing the archives when Yoda spoke, drawing the Mon Calamari's attention to her childhood friend and fellow Jedi.

"First thing, tomorrow.. Your mission begins. Protect Senator Amidala you must."

Obi-Wan nodded grimly, having already been briefed earlier that day on his upcoming mission to protect Senator Amidala from any further assassination attempts. Revan rose a brow and looked at the dreamy expression on Anakin Skywalker's face and measured it against the anger the boy had directed at him when they first met and frowned.

_"I wonder if the Jedi are still as uptight as they were in my time. Its likely with how things have been going but I'll have to ask..."_

Looking around the room, Revan decided he's wait till the little green troll and the subjects of his questions were gone before inquiring. Likely the Mon Calamari Jedi he had heard was named Bant would be the most forthcoming for information. Come to think of it, Revan decided an apology was in order for the unfortunate Senator and he could tag along. Perhaps even get a good laugh at the woman's expense.

"This Senator Amidala. Perhaps if I am to be the Jedi Order's guest I should attempt to make an apology and explain my actions..?"

Revan suggested, interrupting Obi-Wan's quiet discussion with Yoda. Yoda seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding, eyeing Revan's armor with a frown.

"Tell the Senate you are no threat, the Council will. Accompany Master Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker, you should. Frighten the Senator, you should not."

Revan smirked, knowing the ancient little Jedi had seen through his joke. It was so much fun frightening people and he found himself growing dreadfully bored with the time he was in. While Anakin had reminded him of Malak he had simply not known enough of the Force to be a significant enough threat and Revan found that thought extremely boring. What was the fun of it all if someone out there couldn't kill you. Then again he was raised by the Mandalorians and probably going insane. Revan shook off his thoughts, eyeing the Jedi around him before speaking again.

"So do I just sleep here or was someone going to be polite and offer me a couch?"

Revan smiled internally as the ancient Jedi's eyes widened. What? Did they think he had a bloody home to go to? His old room in the Temple was likely occupied and he wasn't about to scrounge up some credits and find a room outside of the Temple, still being a wanted man within the Republic. He'd have to wait for the Jedi to say it was a misunderstanding between some bloody field operative or Force-forbid the truth. The Jedi would likely say he was no threat and the Republic would whine about bringing up charges and it would all be forgotten in a week.

"I can help with that."

Bant finally said as she pulled herself away from an archive console. The Mon Calamari had been looking into Revan's information and from what she had seen, he was one of the deadliest Sith Lords in history. Someone needed to keep an eye on him since that kind of darkness simply did not go away. Revan nodded to the Mon Calamari, respecting her loyalty to her friends and decided to end it there.

"Send someone I will, to watch the archives."

Yoda stated, taking his leave. Anakin and Obi-Wan lingered, both discussing their upcoming mission before Obi-Wan walked over to Bant and Revan, nodding with a smile to Bant and looking at Revan with a somewhat lost expression; not knowing quite what to think.

"We'll come and get you in the morning when we head over to Senator Amidala's apartment. I suppose it would be too much to ask that you wear something a little less conspicuous?"

Revan shrugged, not quite knowing if he wanted to wear his armor the next day. It wasn't as if anyone would be gunning for him if the Council did its job but all of the lovely gadgets Darth Revan had put on the armor long ago were useful. Especially if they were meant to protect a Senator from assassins. Thinking about assassins brought Revan's mind to HK-47 and the former Sith Lord wondered what had happened to his bloodthirsty creation.

_"Bastila probably scrapped it as soon as I was gone."_

Revan decided, his humor draining from him as he let out a long breath, frowning. Bastila was gone, dead. So was everyone he knew and that thought was sinking in slowly as he watched Obi-Wan and Anakin politely excuse themselves and retire for the evening. A gentle webbed hand on his shoulder nearly cost its owner, but Revan quickly calmed his reaction to break the offending limb and turned to the Mon Calamari slowly.

"Once someone gets here to relieve me I'll show you where you can sleep."

The Mon Calamari said quietly, having sensed some of the turmoil within Revan. Revan noted briefly that the Mon Calamari reminded him of Mission without the squeaky kid-voice and he nodded calmly, crossing his arms and leaning against a random Jedi's bust, likely one from after his time. Bant blanched, opening her mouth to protest the man's disrespect but backed down. Obviously it would do no good and likely the man would make it more of a point to lean against long dead and respected likenesses of Jedi Masters.

"Its not wise to invite a mass murderer into your home."

Revan finally stated, being bored and having nothing better to do. He needed to get a point across to the Jedi. He was not another one of them and at least one of them needed to know that. He wasn't the Jedi's puppet that had helped to destroy the Star Forge. He was himself and if he was honest with himself only Bastila's constant presence had kept him from falling back completely into the darkside in his rage against the Jedi Council. Bant was quiet for some time, her large eyes studying Revan's face as he stared back, unapologetic of his past atrocities. Darth Revan may have had honor and may have resisted the urge to senselessly slaughter but he had still bloodied his hands with countless lives by ordering the destruction of Telos IV, Malachor V and a dozen other worlds. Revan was not one for lies and deceit and he decided then and there to lay it all out. Bant finally nodded, saying nothing. At that, Revan frowned.

"I know. I've been reading what little we have on you and from what I've seen..."

Bant didn't say the word, she was certain the former Sith Lord could sense how horrified she had been by some of what the archives said. That the man seemed to offer little in the way of remorse was unsettling but then again the Jedi's mindwipe on Revan as well as his upbringing had given him little sympathy for others. Revan was at heart compassionate but at the same time he could be ruthless and manipulative if something were at stake, namely the Republic. He wasn't going to cry over how many people he'd killed or how meaningless it was to the people of this time. They weren't at war from what he could tell and they would never, never understand what drove him to do what he had.

"Don't you have any remorse?"

Bant finally asked, unable to keep the flinch from her face as Revan pushed himself from where he was leaning and walked over to her.

"Its over and done with. I would do the same thing again if faced with the same options. Those were different times... desperate times, Jedi. Mine weren't the only Sith."

Revan decided to leave it at that, a sick feeling settling in his stomach at the thought of all those he had killed. He wasn't going to ask forgiveness, he wasn't going to cry about it and he wasn't going to back down if push came to shove over the issue. He simply did what he had to, distracted the True Sith and delayed them with his slaughters and Malak had continued to do so, appalling as it may have been it was their only real weapon against the True Sith. Distraction. Why would the True Sith bother to attack themselves when Revan and Malak were doing what they wanted. Clearing his throat, Revan turned as a young Jedi entered. Taking in the features and dismissing the Jedi as unimportant to his situation, Revan waited while Bant spoke with the Jedi, kindly greeting the younger Jedi before she left the Archives and motioned Revan to follow her.   
"I suppose you've more questions?"

Revan asked after he and Bant had entered the hall. The Mon Calamari nodded slowly, glancing sidelong at the former Sith Lord.

"You've been holding back this entire time haven't you?"  
Revan looked at the Jedi appraisingly as they walked through the dimly lit halls of the Jedi Temple. Pondering his answer, Revan decided to be honest.

"I have only fought with all I've had within me three times in my life. Once against an enemy, once against a friend and once against my heart. No insult to your Jedi but the best I've seen of you was that Padawan and he would be dead if he faced a Padawan of my time. The Force is... different, diminished somehow. It seems to have weakened the Jedi greatly... "

Revan measured his next words carefully before speaking them.

"In all honesty if someone gave me fifty Mandalorian warriors I could probably completely wipe out all of the Jedi in this Temple with the exception of a few within a few hours. The security for the Temple is horrendous from what it used to be. We used to have an entire Legion of Republic special forces outside of the Temple and our own space craft for potential evacuation and aerial or space battles. To he completely frank it doesn't look as though there's been a war within these halls for a thousand years."

Bant nodded, slowing her steps as she spoke.

"After the Battle of Rusaan, the Sith Lord Kahn along with all his apprentices and the Jedi that fought there, including the Jedi Lord Hoth were all killed. From what I've read it was horrible, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror... and were silenced."

Revan sneered slightly. He knew that feeling quite intimately. One could say he and that empty feeling within the Force were close friends.

"A Thought Bomb."

Startled, Bant stopped completely, turning fully to Revan.

"I beg your pardon?"

The Jedi Healer asked, blanching at the look of disgusted rage on Revan's face.   
"The Ancient Sith wielded powers far more terrible than anything you can imagine. Power over the dead, power to pass on into terrible devices that could destroy entire worlds and even stars... The worse I'd ever come across was the Thought Bomb. It's a relatively simple technique that drains all of the Life energy from a certain area. I suppose you've heard of Kataar?"

Bant nodded, knowing the world was a wasteland with ancient ruins and a thin atmosphere. Nothing, not even bacteria in water existed there until several hundred years ago when the Republic attempted to reintroduce wildlife and fauna into the ravaged world. The process was slow and even after hundreds of years, Kataar resembled Tatooine more than it had its once beautiful temperate climate of the past.

"Kataar was destroyed weeks before I came here. In my mind anyways. A Sith Lord, if I knew who he'd be dead; used a Thought Bomb and killed not only all of the Miralukans and Jedi on the world but the very life of the world itself. I looked upon that world and saw my sins turned back on me and it sickened me. Telos IV was destroyed by my order... compare that to Kataar and tell me the difference."

Telos IV still bore the scars of the Sith Wars of Revan and Malak but it had healed and had thrived when compared to Kataar. The thought of such ravaged worlds caused Bant to pale significantly and the Mon Calamari placed a hand on the wall to steady herself. The darkness and rage burning in Revan was potent and it sent a chill in the very air around her. How could they possibly trust him when he was filled with such wrath.

"That is a fine example of why I feel no remorse over the worlds I destroyed. They live once more where the ones touched by that filth remain tainted, possibly for eternity. I saw I was at fault for not continuing as I had, taking the victory from those Sith by turning it into my own. The worlds were bathed in the fires of rebirth and I can feel now that they endure."

Revan stopped speaking after that, turning from the shocked and speechless Jedi before him and walking on at a slow pace for the Jedi to catch up to. He had no idea where he would sleep but he no longer cared. While he regretted killing so many it was necessary for the future. Where some would look a decade or a hundred years into the future for results, Revan looked on as far as his mind could imagine and he saw what needed to be done. Worlds could be re-cultivated, atmospheres cleared of the poisonous fumes of his Sith's blaster cannons and it endured, whereas Kataar would forever be dead, never returning to its former vibrance and glory within the Force. It took Revan a few moments to notice Bant was not following him and he turned, his face twitching between a solid mask of nothing and a sneer.

"Its so easy to give up, to just give in. I fought it the only way I knew how, the only way I knew would stop them in the end. Should all of the Jedi have died, should all of the worlds of the Republic have burned to cinders and poisonous fumes. Should I have finally fallen at the hands of my friends and enemies. The Force would have lived on, would have recovered and even if the galaxy was devoid of sentient life... The Force would have remained. Somewhere along the way I gave in to my despair and forgot why I did those things. I remember now and I can only tell you this, Jedi. What remains when all there is is death?"

Bant replied immediately, the Jedi Code etched into her mind since early childhood.

"There is no death... There is the Force."

Revan turned slowly, his eyes gleaming slightly in the dull light of the Temple as he looked down the hallway to where the unmistakable form of the Senate Rotunda hung past countless streams of lights marking speeders moving to and fro through Coruscant's lively night.

"Rusaan, I am certain is dead to the Force. As was Kataar and I ask you, Jedi. What would you have done when faced with such a foe?"

Bant had simply sealed herself off into the Force, seeking its comfort, seeking its guidance and finding only her own mind her answer the horrifying truths Revan spoke of. What was anyone truly capable of when faced with such choices. It was truly horrifying.

Anakin Skywalker and his Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi walked briskly through the cool morning air of Coruscant's 500 Republica district which housed the apartments of Senate delegates as well as various emissaries from non-Republic worlds. The apprentice seemed to practically be jumping with energy while the Master, while wide awake looked extremely uncomfortable. The answer to the Master's discomfort was revealed as the armored figure of Darth Revan walked behind the two, his features obscured by a red and black mask. The citizens and sentients milling about Coruscant hardly noticed the two Jedi but gave a wide path for Revan as he passed them, his official story that he had been a Jedi that had been searching for the mysterious Dark Lord of the Sith and that he had, over the course of a decade lost his marbles and looked directly for his superiors, who happened to be meeting with Senator Amidala and Chancellor Palpatine.

A scowl as deep as Manaan's endless oceans marred Revan's chiseled face and the former Dark Lord of the Sith gave off the aura of someone who most definitely should not be bothered. Anakin Skywalker excitedly went over his words in his mind, hoping he wouldn't make a complete fool of himself to Padme while his Master Obi-Wan kept glancing first at his apprentice and then at his _escort_. Bant had seemed rather upset when he had stopped by her quarters to collect Revan and Obi-Wan knew it had something to do with the man trailing behind him who he was certain was purposely trying to be frightening to the poor inhabitants of Coruscant's streets.

High above the scene, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine stood, staring down at the Sith Lord from the past as a trickle of sweat slowly slid across his forehead and down the side of his face. The Chancellor had been staring at the Jedi Temple in awe of the power vibrating from Revan before he had spotted the armored form of the time traveler following closely behind Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi Council had been there early and it was fortunate he had not slept the night before. Palpatine had passed along the information the Council had given him and rose a hand to his chin, rubbing it thoughtfully as his blue eyes narrowed. The outburst of Force energy within the Jedi Temple had been as vibrant as any he had ever seen and the sheer darkness that rolled from Revan as his anger consumed his thoughts over his past had left the Sith Lord Sidious at a loss.

_"How is this possible? I did not foresee his interference..."_

Palpatine's thoughts turned to his apprentice, Tyranus and the Sith Lord within Palpatine frowned while the Chancellor merely stared out over his own private empire. The war was coming whether Revan interfered or not and the Jedi would surely intervene. The Republic would grow fearful of the powers of the Jedi and the hidden threat of the Sith would merely be forgotten.

_"Or perhaps I can turn their attention to Revan. He may provide the distraction I need to fully seize power."_

Palpatine continued to study the graceful and powerful movements of Revan, even in something so mundane as walking and the Sith Lord felt something he hadn't felt since he had been a small boy. Respect. The Ancient Sith Lord surely was a force to be reckoned with and Palpatine was not suicidal enough to want to challenge Revan directly. Thoughts of turning Revan to the cause of the Seperatists formed in Sidious' mind and the Chancellor's eyes sparked with renewed interests in the minor pothole along the road to his ascension to Emperor. Revan would be a pawn as the Jedi and Dooku and that cybernetic monstrosity Grievous would be. The Chancellor merely needed to show Revan that things within the Senate remained as they always had. After all, Revan had once believed the same things and he had put it himself according to the ancient texts that.

_"What is Democracy? What is the Senate but thousands of voices screaming at one another until they drown themselves out. Inactivity is the state of normalcy within a democracy. Only Empires accomplish anything."_

Palpatine smirked, his shock at Revan's power fading to a simple truth. Revan would not stand with the Republic, it was simply not who he was and Palpatine could sense, could foresee that Revan would turn his back on the Republic again if the proper motivation were given. The Sith Lord's smile slowly turned to a frown as he realized there was nothing Revan cared for in this time. He was a foreigner in a foreign land and while it resembled some of his time, Palpatine was wise enough to know it was not the same and eventually, if Revan didn't return to his own time he would go mad, or perhaps immerse himself too deeply within the darkness to think clearly, to be reasoned with. At that thought, Sidious rolled his eyes. Reaffirming his belief in the darkside of the Force Sidious looked down upon Revan not as an obstacle to his power, but a catalyst. Revan could be turned and all it would take would be a few minutes within the chaos of the Senate chambers. Should that not work, Palpatine's thoughts turned to a threat beyond the eyes of the Jedi and the Republic that he himself had stumbled upon.

_"Should the Senate fail to convince him perhaps the Vong will..."_

Shuddering slightly, Palpatine ignored the thoughts of the distant threat of the Yuzhaan Vong and slowly turned, seating himself in his comfortable chair and straightening his Senatorial robes. He could be patient and perhaps Revan would come to him in time.

Across the distance between Palpatine's office and the Jedi Temple, a lone Jedi Knight glared through cold blue eyes at the back of Darth Revan. The darkness was potent as was the light. Revan was a contradiction, a gray Jedi. Lost in her mistrust, Siri barely sensed the approach of her young Apprentice, Ferus Olin as he followed his Master's gaze.

"The Council does not seem too concerned with his darkness. Considering the teachings tell us none have ever returned to the lightside of the Force after tasting the darkside... one would wonder where this one stands."

Siri rose a brow at her Apprentice's wise and cautious words. Seeing Obi-Wan had been distracting, painful even but Siri pushed those feelings aside, knowing they had both vowed their lives to the Jedi Order and not to one another. Siri's eyes traveled past Revan and rested on Obi-Wan's back for some time before she turned to Ferus.

"He's a contradiction of himself, this Revan. He's almost the embodiment of the Force both light and dark and much as I hate to admit it... He could be a powerful ally."

Ferus nodded, quietly studying Revan from afar and still not believing how vibrant the man's aura within the Force was, even with its darkness.

The ride in the lift that would take Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Revan Bloodraven to Senator Amidala's apartment was on Revan's part silent as he listened to Anakin speaking of the Senator and his dreams. Watching the interaction, Revan realized fairly quickly that nothing at all had changed within the Jedi Order and he leaned against the glass casing of the lift, watching as the Jedi Master chided his student. Beneath Obi-Wan's stern expression, Revan could sense a small bit of understanding, remorse and empathy even and the Former Dark Lord of the Sith rose a brow slowly beneath his mask.

_"Interesting."_

Or at least about as interesting as it was going to get if they weren't going to let him scare people. Smirking to himself, Revan pushed himself off the wall of the life and moved to the door, the door opening just as he reached it and stepped into Senator Amidala's apartment. Maybe he would get to scare someone that day. That someone happened to be Jar Jar Binks, representative of the Gungan people. Approaching the lift to greet the guests that had been cleared by security below, Jar Jar smiled widely as the doors opened before letting out a cry of terror and throwing his arms over his head. Revan's faceless mask tilted slightly as he stepped into the room and studied the Gungan. Naboo had indigenous people aside from the dominantly human settlers and Revan had known of the Gungans though he had never seen one. The only reason Revan had made the connection to these mysterious water-dwelling people of his time had been due to the Gungan's aquatic features as well as his presence in the Senator of Naboo's quarters.   
"Jar Jar, its fine."  
Obi-Wan muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose as he stepped from the lift with Anakin tailing behind him. Jar Jar Binks paused in his rather unflattering impersonation of a ball of snow melting into a puddle and looked at Obi-Wan, instantly recognizing the Jedi.

"Obi?"

The Gungan asked, confusion on his face. Joy soon replaced the confusion and Jar Jar enveloped the Jedi Knight into a hug worthy of an over-loving Wookiee.

"Obi!!!"

Revan crossed his arms, blocking any possible contact as the Gungan turned to himself and Anakin, who happened to be standing at his side.

"Hello, Jar Jar."Anakin smiled, the bruise on his face from where Revan had struck him during their fight still marring his young face, though fading quickly by normal human standards. The Gungan gaped at Anakin for a moment before greeting the young man in much the same way as he had the Master. Thankful that he received no such welcome, Revan rose a brow curiously under his mask.

"I take it you all know each other?"  
Revan's cold voice finally cut short the happy reunion and Obi-Wan groaned.  
"Would it be too much to ask that you merely leave a note in way of an apology?"

Obi-Wan asked, knowing the former Sith Lord was there for his own amusement and not an actual apology. Revan shrugged, his mask turning between the three before he turned to the doorway that would lead them to Senator Amidala.

"I have no interest in my words being twisted by Jedi lies."

Anakin had a slightly curious look on his face while Obi-Wan looked extremely troubled.

"Were we to tell the people where you were from, what and how you arrived in that office, what do you suppose would happen? It would be bloody chaos!"

Revan smirked, tilting his head.

"Well I suppose it would look like a Senate meeting from my time then..."

Ignoring Revan's barb about the Senate, Obi-Wan fixed the former Sith Lord, though he was beginning to have his doubts as to how _former_ of a Sith Lord Revan was, with a hard stare.

"I'll be good."  
Revan's voice had taken on the tone of a scorned child and despite himself, Anakin laughed, receiving the same look from his Master.

"Sorry, Master. You have to admit it was funny."

Obi-Wan sighed, his lips twitching slightly. It had been rather ridiculous when considering its source and Obi-Wan decided to ignore the humor and covered his slip by rubbing his beard. Silently thanking the Force for the decision to grow the beard, Obi-Wan looked to Senator Amidala's doorway and slowly slumped his shoulders in defeat.

_"No sense delaying the inevitable, Obi-Wan."_

The Jedi scolded himself, straightening his robes after Jar Jar's enthusiastic greeting and heading to the doors. Jar Jar looked between the three with a lost expression, looking to Anakin and Obi-Wan for advice. The last he had seen of the armored man he had dove out of a window and used his friend, Senator Amidala as a human shield. Stepping past Revan, Jar Jar nervously approached where Padme was staring out over Coruscant's cityscape with Captain Typho at her side.   
"Senator Padme, these uh Jedi arrive..."

Revan spaced out, not even beginning to understand the Gungan's broken Basic. Being a master of linguistics, Revan was actually at a loss and stared at the Gungan in shock. How the blazes did anyone understand him. It would have been easier to learn the Gungan's language than listen to the horrendous slaughter of the Basic Language. Padme and Captain Typho turned, the Captain's hand unconsciously going to his weapon and Padme tensing at the sight of Revan. The Senator looked past Revan and smiled at the sight of Obi-Wan and Anakin. She'd been given the version of who and what Revan was by the Jedi when she had awakened and the Senator could tell it wasn't the whole truth. Deciding she'd get answers later, Padme smiled and approached Obi-Wan as the Jedi Knight bowed.

"It's a great pleasure to see you again Milady."

"It has been far too long Master Kenobi."

The young Senator's eyes traveled to the Padawan flanking Obi-Wan and her eyes widened slightly at the drastic change in Anakin.

"Ani? my goodness you've grown..."

Revan snorted at Anakin's response, drawing a glare from the Padawan as well as the Senator. Keeping his arms crossed, Revan merely stared back. Ignoring the man's presence, Padme turned back to Anakin dismissed his attempt at flattery.

"Ani you'll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine."

Revan noticed the discomfort as well as the pleasure in the young woman's face and felt a bit of sympathy towards the two. Introductions were given and he was largely ignored aside from a quick and threatening glare from Captain Typho, Revan had a pretty good front seat to Anakin and Obi-Wan butting heads over _mandate_ of their mission. Obi-Wan struck Revan as a by the books type and the former Sith Lord merely stared out the window through his mask, his eyes looking at the distant spires of Coruscant. Really if she was so worried about being assassinated they should chose a room with now windows. The windows along the Senatorial apartment were large and provided a great view, for both the Senator and any potential assassins.

Noticing that the man who had interrupted her meeting with Chancellor Palpatine and taken her for a rather embarrassing fall out of a window had not spoken the entire time, Padme tried to draw the man into the conversation, curious as to his input. She had been rather startled at the tension between Obi-Wan and Anakin but had tried to diffuse the situation through logic when she saw the shadow that darkened the blue walls of her apartment.

"I'd like to apologize for shooting you in Chancellor Palpatine's office. I was under the impression you were an assassin..."

The Senator began neutrally, causing an abrupt end to Anakin and Obi-Wan's silent argument. Obi-Wan looked at the Senator with wide eyes, not believing she had managed to shoot the man while Anakin felt slightly jealous, wanting the full attention. He had been making good points and questioning the mission's guidelines made perfect sense. Revan did not bother turning as he looked into the distance.

"I used to know a Hunter Killer droid that could score a perfect shot at twice the distance between this building and those."

Padme unconsciously looked at the massive windows adorning her apartment and couldn't quite refute the mysterious man's words.

"I haven't been given and details on these assassination attempts but if you believed me to be an assassin and I had managed to make it inside Chancellor-"

Revan paused, not quite remembering the Chancellor's name.

"Inside the Senate building no less, what makes you think it is safe now? On a perfectly clear day?"

Padme felt her cheeks flushing slightly in indignation. The man's biting tone had caused her to want to argue but she could not deny he raised a very good point. The attack at the landing pad had been proof of how tenacious her assassin was and she shouldn't make light of the situation. She did not, however believe she should be hiding in her own home.

"I suppose you are right."

Padme grudgingly admitted, watching in fascination as the man pulled one of his arms from where he had it crossed over his chest and made a simple gesture. The shades of the windows lowered and the room grew darker before the room's occupant's eyes adjusted to the shift in light. Turning, Revan decided to leave out the fact that HK-47, with a simple modification to his scope could still have made the shot. Heat signatures were as deadly a target as a body outline and Revan knew enough about assassins to know that. The gesture had been an apology on his part, a way to soften the Senator to his presence, which he knew was supposed to be only temporary. Pulling his mask from his face, Revan attached the demonic helm to his belt and pulled back his hood, smiling kindly at the Senator.

"I must apologize for my conduct earlier Senator... I was not in my right mind. I assure you the Jedi Order would not have sent me here if I were a threat and I hope you can forgive then of my error. I've spent a lot of time in some uncivilized regions of space and I suppose its made me quite crude in recent years."

Padme studied the man's face, finding that his features were not unpleasant to look at but also that his eyes were shadowed, twin pools of brown that made her heart skip slightly. Something about looking into the man's eyes was unsettling and the Senator calmly closed the distance, keeping her eyes locked with Revan's and extending her hand.

"Padme Amidala Naberrie."

The Nubian offered. Revan took the hand, shaking it and keeping his eyes locked with the Senator's brown.

"I suppose you could call me Revan, my last name is a bit of a mouthful."

Padme smiled slightly, nodding as she turned back to continue to discuss the Senator's security. Revan noticed the Captain, Typho he believed the man had said giving him a respectful look through one eye and Revan nodded to the man, the man's features while dark, reminding him of Carth Onasi slightly.

_"Bloody patriots."_

Revan muttered to himself, choosing to merely listen to the discussion rather than interfere with their plans. When Obi-Wan hadn't dismissed him to leave and no one seemed to want to, Revan made himself more comfortable in a tan-colored chair, studying the artwork that tastefully adorned the Senator's chambers. The Senator quickly dismissed herself and Revan listened to Anakin, Obi-Wan and Jar Jar talk to one another, surprised the Jedi Master didn't scold his apprentice more. Then again he knew the Master was hiding his own personal experience in the field of attachments and Revan chose to be a silent audience, studying the interior of the Senator's apartment with a bored expression on his unmasked face.

"Your presence doesn't seem to bother the Senator..."

Obi-Wan finally stated, much to his Apprentice's annoyance. Anakin decided he had gotten away with enough bickering for the day and put his thoughts aside. Sensing his Apprentice's emotions, ObiWan turned sharply to Anakin, deciding to use diplomacy to confrontation.

"Your knowledge of this field would be invaluable if we wish to safeguard the Senator's life."

Revan smirked at that, having kept his features schooled when he sensed the jealousy in the Apprentice. Obviously the boy wanted to impress the Senator and while he was sympathetic to the boy's feelings, Revan honestly didn't have anything better to do.

"I suppose, why doesn't Anakin stay here and keep an eye on things while you and I check out the layout of this building and speak with the security team."

Knowing he would be hearing about it later from the Masters, Obi-Wan looked to the Force for guidance and felt it urge him to continue.   
"That sounds good. We'll be back shortly and call if anything happens."

Obi-Wan left immediately towards the lift while Revan turned and fixed the boy with an appraising look.

"I know a thing or two about love, Anakin and I say you should go for it. Keep a level head though and you don't need to impress her."

Not knowing quite what to say, Anakin felt his jealousy towards Revan wane. Obviously the man didn't care for the looks Padme had given him and as Anakin looked back on his behavior he was acting rather impulsively.

"Sorry..."  
The Padawan said quietly, Revan chuckled, shaking his head as a grin pulled on his face.

"Don't be. I know how frustrating women can be..."

Revan's grin faded as he again thought of Bastila. Anakin felt the change in Revan's mood immediately and frowned at the man, actually having to look up slightly to meet Revan's eyes. In Revan's eyes Anakin saw a clarity that startled him and he didn't quite know what to say or do. Not wanting to get into a discussion about his lost love, Revan turned and left, entering the lift Obi-Wan was standing by and ignoring the curious look the Jedi Knight sent him.

"Trouble?"  
Obi-Wan asked after a long silence within the confines of the lift. Revan turned to look out over the cityscape as their glass lift lowered, frowning.

"The worst."

The former Dark Lord replied to Obi-Wan's silent question. Looking confused for only a moment, Obi-Wan's face flickered with understanding and he nodded slowly.

"In matters of the heart..."

The Jedi began, shaking his head.

"We're all children."  
Revan finished, swallowing the lump in his throat and managing a hollow grin that was just enough to convince the Jedi. The lift slowed to a stop and both men made their way to where Captain Typho was drilling a small group of security personnel.


	5. Chapter 4: Mandalorians and Assassins

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 4: Mandalorians and Assassins

_"Oh the drudgery..."_

Revan lamented mentally as he watched Obi-Wan and Anakin having yet another argument, though this one was more of a debate as to the merits of politicians. Revan felt himself agreeing with the Jedi Master's sentiments over most of the Senators of his time before. Politicians most definitely could not be trusted. The former Sith Lord had checked the cameras in Senator Amidala's sleep chamber and had said nothing to the fact that they were blank, though Obi-Wan was not limited in that area. Revan had simply expected as much from the headstrong Senator and had simple taken the time to immerse himself in the Force and feel the differences. The biggest difference was the lack of insight it offered him and Revan opened his eyes with a sigh. For the briefest of moments he had felt the bond he shared with Bastila but then it was gone, as it had been earlier and Revan knew something was terrible wrong within the Force. The former Dark Lord also had a fairly good idea of what that was. Though weakened, a disturbance in the Force, an urgent cry from its endless power still felt the same and Revan's mind paused. Opening his thought to tell the Jedi, Revan decided to wait. It took a few more seconds for the other two Jedi to stop arguing and notice something was off within the Force.

"I sensed it too."

Obi-Wan stated, following Anakin quickly to the Senator's sleeping chambers. Revan watched the two from his chair, listening as Anakin's lightsaber snapped to life and finally stood when Obi-Wan went flying out the window in a rather spectacular display. Revan admired the Jedi's tenacity at that, if one fell from this height and missed the walkway they could fall for hours. Smirking at that, Revan saw Anakin rush past him and decided he'd stick around in the off chance there were two assassins. The Force reassured him the Master and Padawan would be fine and Revan decided to follow the Senator's Handmaiden and her Captain into the room. Instead of checking on the Senator, Revan let the others bother and knelt beside one of the dead Kohouns, pulling out a small vibroblade from his boot and pushing the poisonous creature on its back. No sense touching the bloody thing.

"These are rare... difficult and expensive to procure..."

Padme Amidala Naberrie had since calmed down from waking up to Anakin practically on top of her with his lightsaber active and looked over at the Jedi that had remained behind, furrowing her brow.

"Kohoun."

Revan stated, placing his mask on his face and using its scanners to examine the four nearly sliced pieces of the two Kohoun. The little poisonous bugs were native to the planet Induomodo but that they had been taken to other worlds and could survive in almost any environment. Pulling his mask away, Revan stood and turned to the former Queen of Naboo with a gentle smile, like the one he gave Mission at times.

"Whoever is financing these assassinations is either quite the explorer, or quite rich. Kohoun are rare this deep in the Republic and whoever financed this wants you dead and obviously has the money to spare. If you'd like to investigate this matter I'd be happy to look over any records of enemies you've made."

Padme Amidala sat up from her bed, allowing her Handmaiden Dorme to dress her in a thick, warm robe that covered her sleep gown before she turned fully to Revan.

"Well, Jedi Revan. I can think of only three individuals who would have the assets to carry out these assassination attempts. Count Dooku, a former Jedi Master who left the Order nearly a decade ago. Nute Gunray, the Viceroy of the Trade Federation which invaded my homeworld a decade ago and the Dark Lord of the Sith who-"

Revan cut the Senator off.

"Who likely sent an apprentice to kill you a decade ago?"

The Senator frowned.

"Everyone knows about Darth Maul and I do not appreciate your mockery. A great Jedi Master died that day."

Revan had no idea what the woman was talking about and decided to brush up on recent, or in his case, future events.

"I meant no disrespect, Senator. I merely saw a pattern in all of this. Three individuals with significant power and wealth whom you believe want you dead. And all have connections to you at least a decade ago... well aside from this Count Dooku."

The Senator frowned, narrowing her eyes at the strange Jedi that had claimed to be a Sith Lord on their first meeting.  
"Count Dooku was Qui-Gon Jinn's Jedi Master. Qui-Gon Jinn was killed by Darth Maul as they tried to free my world of an occupation by the Trade Federation."

Revan rose a brow in how blind some of the people of this time truly were.

"And I assume the Dark Lord of the Sith was in alliance with this Trade Federation."

The Senator caught Revan's slip and narrowed her eyes.

"I don't believe you are who you claim to be."

Captain Typho was immediately on guard, as was Dorme. Revan turned his head to watch R2-D2 clean up the poisonous remains of the Kohoun and thought over his next words carefully.

"My name is Revan of the Bloodraven Clan. I'm a Mandalorian and was raised by the Mandalorians until the age of ten when I was discovered by a Jedi Knight and taken into the Order. My people were destroyed in a war shortly after and I had nothing else but the Jedi. This- This is all I have and I don't appreciate your accusations. I am who I told you I was..."

Padme caught the double-meaning in the man's words and her eyes narrowed dangerously as she walked to her dresser and pulled a blaster pistol from within, training it on Revan.

"So you are _Darth_ Revan. I assume that Maul was your apprentice?"

Revan calmly faced the Senator and her guards fully and crossed his arms.

"I warn you, as a Mandalorian I do not like having weapons pointed at me when I myself am unarmed."

Padme's eyes shot to the lightsabers hanging from Revan's belt and she realized that unlike most Jedi she had seen, Revan carried three lightsabers instead of one.

"You're not a Jedi. Why would the Council send you here?"

Revan remained calm, his hands ready to pull his weapons in a split second but staying where they were.

"My dear Senator... Do you honestly have so little faith in the Jedi or your friends Obi-Wan and Anakin? Why would they lead me here to murder you if I truly had the intent?"

Padme's hand lowered a fraction, though the pistol was still pointed in Revan's general direction.

"What do you support within the Senate? What do you oppose that would be a danger to Viceroy Gunray or this Dark Lord of the Sith, or even Count Dooku? I assume it would be revenge on all parts but why wait a decade? What is the most recent bill you've voted for or against that has them so actively trying to kill you?"

Padme thought this over and saw the logical point the armored man before her was making.   
"The military creation act. The Republic hasn't had a military in over a thousand years and-"

Revan cut the Senator off with a sneer. Without his mask on, Padme caught the look and quickly raised her guard.

"And what? You expect the Jedi to carry you in case these Trade Federation types decide to make war on the Republic? Do you think the security forces of the Republic worlds would be enough against a military organization? Who could stand against a war? Do you honestly think everyone in the galaxy has the best of intentions? War is big business and war can fill empty Credit accounts, can turn the eyes of civilians from social disorder to the threat of annihilation. I've been on the Outer Rim for years and I've seen war firsthand. The Jedi cannot fight a war by themselves... they need help. There aren't enough..."

Revan did not mention the lack of readiness he saw within the Jedi Temple or the way his conversation paralleled his argument with Bant the night before. Padme's face took on a stubborn expression and Revan refused to back down, even if the woman had a gun aimed at his head.

"It is in the interests of the preservation of liberty that this act not be passed. If the Republic had a military there would be chaos, secessions, panic... why the very beliefs the Republic was founded upon-"

Revan dangerously decided to cut Padme off once again.

"Would mean nothing if all those who believed in them were not willing to fight for it. Give me fifty, fifty able warriors and I could level the Jedi Temple. What do you think the Jedi are? They are not a bloody military no matter how much I wished it. They great majority of Jedi are students, children who seek guidance in understanding their unique abilities. That they have those abilities does not mean they understand them. Only the more experienced Knights and Masters are ready for a war. What would you do if I went to the schools of your world and took all of the children at the age of ten, placed weapons in their hands and told them to fight a battle for someone they would never know or see because it was their duty? I ask you what? You of all the Senators should realize this. The need for a military to keep the peace when the Jedi are not able-"

The Senator chose to cut Revan off, seeing the logic in the man's words but simply not believing the same things.

"I understand what you are saying but none of these Separatists or the Trade Federation want war. If we gave up our freedom to be dictated by a military-"

Revan rose a hand, causing an outraged look to cross Padme's face.

"Hear me out before you set in about freedom and liberty and the tyranny and corruption of the military. What do you base these claims on if no military exists in any form of the Republic and hasn't for a millennium? Look at your own situation right this moment? Think of the attempts on your life as a small war fought between you and your assassins. Ugly as it may sound not everyone wants peace. You speak of freedom and yet look at yourself right now. Can you take a stroll along the walkways of Coruscant at night? Would you take a flight in a shuttle to sightsee in space? You are still free to do so but the danger remains there and you chose security over freedom. Walk to the window and have a look over Coruscant but mind the snipers. Look at the plight of your people a decade ago, look at these assassination attempts and then you tell me, if it is the Trade Federation or the Sith or this Dooku behind this, what makes you think a war between your people is not far behind? Will you bend to their will and give them what they want? Is that your freedom? Is that your liberty?"  
Revan silenced his argument, surprised the opinionated woman hadn't simply shot him. Staring into the Senator's fiery brown eyes Revan could see she was measuring his words and the truths they held.

"You should have been a politician..."

Padme finally said, lowering her blaster and realizing she had all but backed the man into a corner and accused him of being a liar.

"I- I'm sorry about all this... I was just suspicious of what you had said in Chancellor Palpatine's office... that you were Darth Revan..."

Revan's face held no expression as he nodded once.

"Understandable. I was a bit confused at the time but I'm getting better."

Padme smirked slightly, her eyes sparkling.

"So no using me as a human shield and leaping out of windows?"

Revan chuckled at that.

"I think I'll leave the leaping out of windows to Obi-Wan."

At this, Padme laughed genuinely. Who'd have thought there would be a Jedi that had an actual sense of humor. Looking at the mysterious man through thoughtful eyes, Padme studied his face, his arms and his broad shoulders. He was very good to look at and the beard made him look older than he actually was. Padme had a feeling the man was younger that Obi-Wan and her eyes flickered to his a moment before she looked to her side to see Captain Typho still staring at the man.

"Captain?"

The name Darth Revan seemed to be stuck in the Captain's mind but he said nothing, holstering his pistol and calmly excusing himself. He'd send a detachment of security to secure a lower floor and leave the Senator in Dorme's care for the time being. It was highly unlikely a second attempt on the Senator would be made so soon and the Captain look out his communicator, contacting the building's security and requesting the Senator be moved to a different, secured floor. Walking to the window, Revan uncrossed his arms, his brown eyes studying the far off buildings for any signs of danger. The Senator was still absorbing his earlier rant and he was certain she could see the logic in having a military. In times of war, who would rise to defend them otherwise? The Jedi were simply not equipped to handle a galactic war and that was something Revan knew for a fact. The Jedi of his time had scarcely been able to defend against the Mandalorians and later his assaults and Revan knew it needed to be addressed. It was a bloody miracle the Republic hadn't been taken over in a thousand years and Revan's mind strayed to the Senator's arguments. While Senator Amidala had a point about freedom and the panic that would likely go along with such a drastic change, what would happen if they did nothing.

"I think I am going to go over my speech to the Senate tomorrow. I don't think I can sleep after all this excitement..."

Padme muttered, collecting a few of her scattered datapads and pulling her robes tightly around her. Revan nodded absently, still mulling over his thoughts. Neither Senator nor former Sith Lord knew that by considering creating a military they were playing directly into the Dark Lord of the Sith's hands. The strife would act as a focal point on the Jedi and their powers and the galaxy would fear them. With that fear the galaxy would not support the Jedi and Sidious had only to wait until that belief was cemented in the minds of all the people of the Republic. If the Republic simply let the Separatists win, no one could say if it would be better or worse as the rising Separatist forces fell under the direct control of the Dark Lord of the Sith and his apprentice, Darth Tyranus. It seemed that fate had turned against the Jedi once more.

Obi-Wan Kenobi calmly crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for the Coruscant security officials to arrive and take care of the shape shifting assassin's body. Sighing heavily, Obi-Wan had a feeling the mission was going to turn from protection to investigation as the assassin appeared to not be working alone. The glimpse he had of the armored man with the jet pack solidified Obi-Wan's beliefs and the Jedi Knight turned to look at his apprentice.

"Calm yourself, Anakin. Our priorities have shifted. Obviously there is more going on here than just an attempt on Senator Amidala's life."

Anakin continued to pace furiously, not quite knowing what to do. With a resigned sigh, Anakin slowed and adopted his Master's stance.

"I suppose so, Master."

Taking a look around him, Anakin frowned deeply.

"Master?"

Obi-Wan pull his hand from his beard, raising a brow at Anakin.

"Where's Revan?"

To the Jedi Knight's credit his expression did not change.

"I suppose he's where _you_ left him."

Flushing slightly, Anakin swallowed his pride at the scathing reply that wanted to leave his mouth. Obi-Wan was right and if Revan had deceived them...

"I'll go, you stay With the body and then meet me."

Going for his communicator, Obi-Wan called into the Temple to tell them of another attempt on Senator Amidala's life and to tell them the Senator was alone, for the most part, With Revan. Anakin's jaw clenched slightly as he reined in his anger. He had sensed to ill will in the mysterious former Sith but then, Anakin didn't know what to think of the man. A day before he had been the most powerful and skilled Padawan, maybe even Jedi in the Order and in two seconds Revan had knocked him unconscious and had him at his mercy. To make matters worse the man was alone With Padme and Anakin felt worry begin to twist his stomach into knots.

"I hope he's trustworthy..."

Anakin had enough to worry about With his dreams about his mother and to think of Padme being in more danger because of him was almost unbearable.

"I'm curious, Knight Revan. Where did you learn so much about war? You said you were a Mandalorian? Was it during their civil war?"

Revan turned his dark gaze to Padme, his mask hanging from his belt as he crossed his arms over his chest and regarded her With a neutral expression.

"I know about war from the Mandalorians and the Civil war... but mostly I know about power. I've spend the better part of a decade studying and experiencing powers the likes of which most of the Senators wouldn't even dream- well, wouldn't imagine was in their grasps. The Outer Rim is a dangerous and untamed region With many, many secrets. I can see how the idea of creating a military after a thousand years could be seen as a problem, and I can see that it could provoke these Separatists into a fight but what is to stop them if they chose to attack anyways?"  
Padme set aside her datapad, standing and facing Revan fully. Revan notice dit was a diplomatic approach and knew the young woman's arguments as to her opinion were far from over.

"I appreciate your input, Knight Revan and I can tell you speak from some experience but this is the Republic we are talking about, not Gallidran or a bunch of bloodthirsty Mandalorians."

Padme watched Revan's face closely as it took on an angry sneer. The slip was only momentary but the former Queen of Naboo caught it and pressed her attack.

"The Republic is civilized, do you honestly think anyone in their right minds would _want _a war? Where is the reason? No the Trade Federation and the other Separatists only want money. They would never dare to stand against the Republic."

Controlling his anger, Revan decided to let the comments about the Mandalorians slide. Outsiders would never understand the Code of Honor within the Clans. Padme frowned when Revan said nothing. Noticing the anger hat had replaced the man's neutral expression, Padme knew she had touched on a sore subject, and decided to continue. He hadn't given her a chance to refute his claims and she in turn would give him something to think about.

"I know I'm not a Jedi and I know I am not a warrior or a soldier but I will not do something to jeopardize the peace within the Republic that has stood of a thousand-"

Revan had heard enough. The girl was an idealist and opinionated and while he respected her will and her strength, she didn't know what the Hell she was talking about.

"A decade, unless you consider the Trade Federation's invasion of your world a simple misunderstanding and not a bloody war."

Some of the fire in Padme's brown eyes dimmed at the truth in Revan's words. To the young Senator's dismay she felt as if Revan had been waiting for her to say something like that, to throw it in her face.

"That incident was resolved. The Trade Federation has since-"

Padme stopped talking, her cheeks coloring as Revan's angry expression turned to an amused smirk.

"You're twisting the truth."

Padme finally spat, glaring at the former Sith Lord. Revan's smirk remained in place, though the amusement was gone.

"If that is what you think, I will not begrudge your opinion, milady."

Revan gave what could only be considered a mocking bow and slowly seated himself in a chair, saying nothing further. The woman's facts were based on opinions and the simple hope that people wanted to be good, wanted to do the right thing. Oh how much better the galaxy would have been if that were true. Some people, Revan had known, did not want peace and could not be reasoned With.

"You haven't won this argument yet."

Padme glared at Revan icily, her hands stubbornly on her hips. Revan rose a brow at just how much the young Senator looked like Bastila, if a bit on the thin side and less built and said nothing. Actions would speak louder than any words he could say.

"You're not even going to answer me?"

Padme asked, deflated slightly that the man would no longer argue. It was so much easier to be angry when he responded and so much more fulfilling when he spoke so she could cut him off as he had her. Revan leaned back slightly, stretching out and crossing his hands behind his neck as he leaned back and let out a patient sigh. The Senator was smart, but intelligence and wisdom were two different things and wisdom, Revan was sad to say, could only come in time and experience. Looking back on his own mistakes, Revan closed his eyes and reached into the Force, seeking Bastila's fleeting, presence through their bond. Deeper and deeper Revan searched, his heart aching as he sensed nothing. As he was about to retreat from his Force-trance, Revan felt an image of two angry gray eyes burning into his brown and smirked.

_"Hello there princess. Long time no see!."_

The cloud in his mind cleared slightly and Revan was given an image of a much older, though still in his mind beautiful Bastila. The fire in her eyes hadn't dimmed With age and Revan payed no mind to the gray hair or the wrinkles in the Jedi's face. Instead, Revan concentrated on her eyes, twin fires of ice, two cold gray stones. Oh she was definitely angry With him.  
_"Four thousand bloody years I wait for you and that is all you have to say?"_

Revan's smirk vanished as a slice of pain in his shoulder drew him from his most welcome Force-trance. Snapping his eyes open, Revan glared at his arm and then up at the Senator that had pinched him.

"You were starting to drool."

Padme smiled playfully, her smile vanishing at the pure rage she saw in Revan's brown eyes.

"Once, I am only going to say this once. Never disturb me when I am meditating or resting. I have reactions honed by my experiences as of late and I do not want to hurt you."

Padme looked confused for a moment, her eyes wide With surprise at Revan's hissed words. Obviously the man was angry about something but Padme simply did not understand that Revan could kill her without a second thought, that disturbing him when he was not aware of his surroundings completely could very well cost the young Senator her life.

"I've had to drill certain things into my mind, reactions to threats and I need- I need time to adjust to a peaceful-"

Revan thought about the assassination attempts.

"Well... I have to adjust to the danger not being focused on me."

Padme stared deeply into Revan's eyes, seeing that he was telling the truth. Swallowing nervously the Senator nodded, backing away slowly. Whoever the man was, he only became more mysterious and that only drew more of the young Nubian's curiosity. He was a Jedi yet he acted so unlike the few Jedi she had met that she could scarcely set him in the same category. He was dangerous, but Padme felt no real danger directed towards her, at least until she had disturbed his Force-trance or whatever he had been doing. Falling back on her knowledge of how the galaxy operated, Padme decided Revan had spend a long time on the more unsavory side of the galaxy and that his reactions were survival instincts he had drilled in himself to survive in a harsh environment. Appreciating that fact, and that the man was technically one of her Jedi protectors, Padme returned to working on her speech, occasionally glancing towards Revan as he had stood and was facing out of one of the blinded windows.

Revan closed his eyes, spreading his legs apart about a shoulder's width and then took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as his hands crossed behind him, at the small of his back. Taking in a deeper breath, Revan allowed the Force to flow through him, feeling it strengthen him and give him clarity. Searching deeply within the Force With the relentlessness that had made him a worthy adversary of Mandalore the Ultimate, Revan's mind connected With the Force, feeling the vibrations that seemed to have weakened significantly over the course of four millennium. Unable to believe the Force was so weakened, Revan cleared his mind of all thoughts and doubts and rage, focusing on the Force.   
_"You're never going to find it."_

Bastila's image, still aged but still beautiful came into his mind and Revan let out a sigh, his mind opening to show Bastila why he did what he did. Bastila merely stared at him impassively, her eyes unwavering and her arms crossed in annoyance. A thought escaped Revan's mind and the former Dark Lord enjoyed the slight tint that colored Bastila's pale cheeks. With a sigh, Bastila felt Revan finally take form within the vision the Force was granting him and moved before him, standing a mere foot in front of Revan as she looked up and frowned. A slap echoed within Revan's mind and the former Jedi Knight reached out slowly, his hand resting on Bastila's shoulder.

_"I wish you would just let me be angry With you."_

Bastila hissed, her eyes glaring at Revan before they softened and the two embraced. In Revan's mind it had only been two weeks since he had seen Bastila but he could not help but feel as she had, that it had been a hundred lifetimes.

_"You'll be angry With me whether I allow you to or not."_

Revan replied, cursing the waver in his mental voice. A choked laugh from Bastila and Revan pulled away, looking down at the woman he would give anything for. A hand raised, tenderly tracing Bastila's jaw and stopping at her chin where he gently tilted her head upwards to meet his gaze and Revan leaned forward, allowing his passion and love to bleed into his kiss. It took several minutes for Revan to finally regain control of himself and he backed away, smiling at Bastila.

_"That you lived to grow old is more than I could have dared to ask for... I- I only wish I was there to see it."_

Bastila's face lost its expression as the deceased Jedi's hands raised to her face and she frowned.

_"Revan I died four years after you left. I- I'm; my physical appearance is a representation of the Force... At least in your mind what you would expect of it."_

Revan's smile that had been forming on his face fell off completely and his eyes shone With a darkness that momentarily disrupted the beauty of his vision.

_"How?"_

The question was asked in a near whisper and Bastila's eyes shined as she stared into Revan's, his brown eyes bleeding away into flecks of gold as his rage became suffocating.

_"I was killed by a rogue Jedi who had decided to name herself the Dark Lady of the Sith... She- she wiped out what remained of the Jedi Masters and murdered your Master Kreia on Malachor V. Canderous- Canderous was there, he- he tried to stop her but-"_

Revan's face was lined With shadows as he glared at nothing.

_"Taya Kenobi."_

Bastila's face had paled slightly, her eyes pleading With Revan to calm himself.

_"You know what happened to her, Revan. You know the darkness you helped to create when you sent her to Coruscant, broken and blind to the Force. She- she regained her connection to the Force and as she rebuilt her power, overthrew the Sith as well as the Jedi. I confronted her and asked her to see reason... I- I think I was getting through to her but her apprentice, a man named Atton-"_

Revan's anger focused inward at that. He had trained that bastard himself and With a horrifying truth, Revan realized he had killed Bastila.

_"I was forced to defend myself and I- I struck Atton down. Taya she- she lost her will then and went mad. Canderous and her companions all tried to stop her, they saw how dangerous the darkness was but it was all too late, none of us were strong enough and she killed us all. I- I've never felt anything like that before and I daresay I've only felt it once since then."_

Revan's mind focused on the foggy relation of events in the future of his time, and the past of the universe he occupied.

_"Rusaan."_

One word and Bastila nodded to Revan, her worry not leaving her face. Revan felt as if he would stumble and fall and turned his eyes from Bastila, ashamed to even look at her.

_"The True Sith never attacked?"_

Revan's voice cracked and he looked back to Bastila, flinching as he saw the love in her eyes, the compassion and the loss.

_"The True Sith eventually attacked but Taya- She became something so horrible she consumed them as they attacked and they fled, destroying themselves in the process... Taya's anger was so great, so overwhelming it terrified the Sith."_

Revan gave a bitter laugh, the sound hollow as his eyes grew red and shone with unshed tears.

_"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."_

Not being one to give in or give up, Revan pulled his thoughts away from his own self-pity. A tear slid down his cheek but he ignored it, his gaze focusing on Bastila.

_"What drove her over the edge? What made her kill? Taya was one of the most compassionate women... Sentients I knew... she would have never considered murdering in revenge."_

Bastila smiled sadly, her eyes drawing Revan's into her thoughts.

_"Your reaction just now justifies her's. I have no hatred of her, Revan and you should not either."_

Opening his mouth to speak, Revan was cut off by a gentle hand laying itself on his chest. Bastila's presence soothed him and he stopped, allowing his lost love to speak her peace.

_"Let it go, Revan. I am merely telling you what happens if you chose to stay in this time. The time that passes in this time also passes in ours... You have four years, Revan. Four years to find that crystal and find your way back to us- to me. Taya can be saved through one simple act and you, Revan need to be the one to do it. There is a cave on Korriban where she embraced her darkness. In that cave, Revan you must confront the Exile. She never fought you in our time but there, she will and there, you will teach her as you taught all of us."_

Bastila's hand raised, grasping Revan's bearded chin and shaking slightly.

_"Four years, Revan. No more, no less."_

Revan could no longer find words, his mind too ravaged by the constant stream of information he had been given that day. Feeling his grasp on the vision fade, Revan reached out to Bastila, her image fading as he was drawn back into the reality of his situation. Slowly, Revan's eyes opened and the steady breathing of Senator Amidala invaded his ears. Using the breathing as an anchor for his thoughts, Revan's brown eyes stared at nothing as his mind went over what he needed to know. Taking not of the date, Revan pulled his mask away from his belt, the movement startling Padme after seeing the armored Jedi not move for nearly an hour. The Senator's eyes narrowed in thought as she saw Revan say something quietly to his mask before he reattached it to his belt and turned to her, his face blank.

"I'm going to get a drink of water, Senator. Would you care for anything?"

Surprised by the man's sudden politeness, Padme declined, her eyes following Revan as he nodded to her and made his way to the kitchen of her temporary apartment. Pouting slightly in her own thoughts, Padme focused her attention back down to her speech which had been getting nowhere. Revan filled a glass with water and drank the whole cup back in drag. Setting the glass in a sink, Revan leaned forward on the counter top, his breathing heavy as he rested his hands in front of him, staring down into the sink and wondering if he were going to vomit or not. How was he supposed to spend four bloody years in this time when he knew what was going to happen in his own? Revan's eyes went to one of his lightsabers and the former Dark Lord's jaw clenched, a muscle twitching in his cheek as his teeth ground together.

_"Taya will suffer for what she's done-"_

A mental slap and Revan flinched. Taya hadn't, or at least wouldn't have done those things for another four years and with a calming breath, Revan turned on the sink, splashing cold water in his face before drying his still gloved hands and his face with a towel. His mind falling back to Korriban, Revan wondered if the cave was still undisturbed or if he had, in the passage of time been lost. The concept of spending four years in an alien time and surrounded by people he didn't know, nor cared to know now that he knew of the urgency of his own reality, Revan pulled himself together, calming his rage and chaotic thoughts. He would spend his time with the Jedi, earn their trust and in four years he would take a fighter and vanish from their time, returning to his own and there he would take care of a few problems. Nodding to himself, Revan entered the living room area of the apartment, raising a brow as the doors to the apartment opened and three Jedi rushed in.   
"Can I help you, Master Jedi?"

Padme asked, looking up from her work with a curious expression. Mace Windu, looked from Revan to the Senator and sighed in relief while Obi-Wan Kenobi and their accompanying Knight looked slightly disturbed. Revan noticed the Jedi Knight as the one that had been guarding the entrance to the Temple but could not summon the energy to smirk at the man.

"We- We decided it would be prudent for you to move your things to the Jedi Temple for the remainder of the evening, Milady."

Obi-Wan cut in quickly, embarrassed and slightly disturbed at his own mistrust of Revan. While the man had been rather shady and was more powerful than was good for him, Obi-Wan knew the Force was telling him Revan was no threat and he flushed slightly in embarrassment. Padme seemed to measure her options before scowling.

"I do not like this idea of hiding. This is my home, and I should not give the assassins the idea that I am afraid. They can terrorize me all they want but I will _not_ hide."

Revan, still lost in his own thoughts managed to summon a small smile towards the Senator. She was no pushover and Revan could admire her spirit.


	6. Chapter 5: Republic, Republic

Disclaimer: I own nothing. 

Chapter 5: Republic, Republic

The sun climbed slowly over the 500 Republica district of Coruscant and the Senate as well as the Jedi Temple awoke to the day following yet another attempt on Senator Amidala's life. Being young and beautiful had its perks and media attention had shifted completely to Padme Amidala Naberrie. Walking through the streets of Coruscant with a full entourage of Senatorial police, personal Security personnel and an escort of three Jedi, Padme felt anything but secure. The thought of so much attention being focused upon her and not the issues that mattered outraged the Senator but she kept her thoughts to herself, waiting until she reached the Senate hall. Palpatine would listen to her, as he always had and he would do the best that he could, Padme and the Republic had faith in the former Nubian Senator.

With a bored expression on his face, Revan stood clad in simply black robes and a black cloak. The only difference between his appearance and that of Obi-Wan and Anakin aside from the color of his robes was the length of which his tunic hung, past his knees. Spacing out for a moment, Revan's mind kept turning to the previous night's events as something pestered him. Obi-Wan had filled him in, and apologized in excess for barging in the Senator's apartment. Revan had simply thought nothing of it, with a subdued smirk Revan knew he wouldn't trust himself either. His thoughts coming to an abrupt halt, Revan felt a stirring in the Force. Obi-Wan had gone to research the toxic dart used to kill the assassin and from Obi-Wan's description of the assassin's assassin.

"Now that just sounds ridiculous..."

Revan cleared his mind of cluttering thoughts. Having too much to think about was causing him to mix his metaphors when he spoke and frankly being in a Senatorial meeting was not doing his patience any good.

"It had to have been a Mandalorian but from which side? The Death Watch as well as the True Mandalorians are both on the verge of extinction..."

Then again, the Mandalorians always seemed to be on the verge of extinction. Rolling his eyes, Revan decided his people could last another four thousand years even if they all died out. He was certain the Taung, the species the Mandalorians were founded by were long dead and was not in the least bit surprised that humans had picked up where their predecessors left off. He himself was human and it did not surprise him that they carried on the fine, bloody tradition of what it is to be a perfect warrior. Casting a sideways glance at Anakin as the boy practically tripped over himself to stand beside the Senator of Naboo, Revan sighed; glad he was never so lovesick. While it may have seemed all well and good in Anakin's mind, perhaps even flattering to the Senator, Revan could only see a bumbling fool.

"Speaking of bumbling fools..."

With a growl, Revan stopped abruptly, rounding on said bumbling fool and jabbing a finger harshly into Jar Jar Bink's chest.

"If you bloody step on my cloak again I will throw you over the walkway."

Looking at first confused, then slightly apologetic, Jar Jar grinned meekly, his body shaking in fear. He didn't know much about the man before him, just that he was rude, impulsive and violent.

"Sa- Me'sa sorry."

Frowning at the Gungan, Revan merely nodded stiffly, turning and moving slightly ahead of the Gungan. Pulling the edges of his cloak around himself, Revan decided having it trail in the wind behind him would likely get it covered in Gungan slobber as well, with how often the aquatic Nubain had his mouth open in a slack-jawed look of a simpleton.

"You're being too hard on the fellow. He has a good heart..."

Gnawing on the apology on his tongue, Revan flinched as again his cloak was stepped on by the trailing Gungan. Maybe he wasn't being too hard on the clumsy Gungan. The Senate building loomed in the distance and Revan finally turned his eyes to the third Jedi escorting Senator Amidala. A female Rutian Twi'lek who, despite being older reminded Revan vaguely of Mission, at least until she opened her mouth. Revan could scarcely get Mission's whiney voice out of his mind when he pictured the Twi'lek Jedi Knight Aayla Secura. Sighing, Revan decided he shouldn't make comparisons between people he knew in his time and people he was meeting in this time.

"At this rate I'll bloody kill Obi-Wan for reminding me of Taya."

Revan's humor all but left him in that moment. Humor was what kept him going at times, as was evident in HK-47's programming but Revan simply could not reconcile the thought of Taya Kenobi falling so far. How could his presence stop all that unless he was to kill her. Not to say killing the Exiled former General of the Republic was not a thought Revan did not entertain, nor dragging the death out over a period of weeks but Revan had let his rage over learning of Bastila's demise control his thoughts then. Needless to say several Jedi found it very difficult to sleep with all that dark energy being expended as Revan relentlessly trained his body in the Jedi's training rooms. Still feeling sore from his brutal workout, Revan allowed the dull ache in his body to pull his thoughts from unwelcome subjects.

"I don't suppose you know how long this is going to take? I mean honestly just go in there and say, I kiss your ass you kiss mine, have a nice bloody day you two faced schutta."

Revan grumbled to his technically fellow Jedi. Aayla Secure rose a brow, fixing her hazel eyes on Revan's dark brown.

"You know I didn't get much sleep last night because of you so I honestly don't feel like answering."

Aayla's voice was clipped and to the point and Revan smirked. Being evil was so rewarding, especially how easily the distractions came up. Revan had enough time to review his actions the night before. He would kill off four years, increasing his strength and skill as best he could and he would destroy Taya Kenobi the moment he saw her on Korriban. That would be bloody that and then he would give the True Sith something to be truly terrified of.

"I don't suppose there's any way we can get out of this..?"

Revan asked hopefully, loathing the bureaucracy around him. Easily sensing the thoughts of the Senators around him, Revan knew few, very few had any virtuous interests at heart. Most were looking to line their accounts with credits and Revan had very little room in his heart as it was.

"None."

Aayla replied with a small smirk. Revan caught the smirk in the corner of his eye and sighed. Obviously this was some Jedi form of revenge against him, being personally hand-picked by the Council. Knowing there were worse places to be, mainly the Undercity of Taris, Revan decided to play along, learn by observing the Senate. He highly doubted anything had changed.

"Ah, Senator Amidala, I am so grateful you are safe..."

Chancellor Palpatine had intercepted them on their way to the Senate hall and Revan silently prayed that the Chancellor would lead them a different route.

"Chancellor..."

Padme replied with a tilt of her head. Narrowing her eyes, Padme had a fairly good idea of what Palpatine was going to ask and a stubborn expression began working its way to her face. Seeing the look, Palpatine sighed dramatically, looking as if the weight of the galaxy were upon his shoulders.

"If you would join me in my office. Your escort is welcome as well."

Revan felt a distinct feeling of admiration for the Chancellor. He was getting him the Hell away from the Senate hall which was the last place he wanted to be. Revan had what many Jedi would refer to as a state of withdrawal following a Force-vision. Revan decided to call it a Force-hangover since the pounding in his head felt like he had gone on an all night Tarisian ale binge. A quiet, or relatively quiet meeting between the Senator of Naboo and the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic was a large step away from thousands of Senators screaming at one another. Revan entered the office, glancing briefly at the red-robed Senatorial guards before he took a seat offered to him, making himself comfortable as Palpatine and Padme had a silent staring contest, challenging each other's will.

"Due to the threat against your life I am issuing an executive order that you be taken into the care of the Jedi Order to safeguard your life. A liaison may act in your stead but I want you safe, Milady. I simply cannot allow you to risk your life any further in this matter and the debate is over."

Revan's eyes had widened slightly. Palpatine had all but ordered Senator Amidala and it would be amusing to see the stubborn woman's response. Padme's lips thinned into a straight line and her eyes took on a vicious gleam.

"I will not hide, Chancellor. It is the goal of these assassins to silence my voice in the Senate and I will not-"

Palpatine cut the young Senator off and Revan smirked at the man. He was either suicidal or brave. Padme's eyes glittered dangerously but the Senator stopped as the Chancellor raised his hand.

"There is no debate here, Padme. Your safety is my primary concern."

Looking more like a mourning grandfather trying to comfort his granddaughter than a Supreme Chancellor and a vicious politician, Palpatine fixed Padme with his bright blue eyes, imploring her to see reason. She needed to be silenced, either by death or absence and he knew she would pick someone she trusted, likely that bumbling Gungan to represent her in the Senate. Smiling inwardly, Palpatine knew the Gungan would be easy to manipulate, those with big hearts usually were. Hearing the Chancellor use her first name, Padme sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumping.

"If I have no other choice..."

Aayla Secura chose that moment to speak up.

"Given the nature of the attempts on your life, the Jedi Council has decided to pursue an investigation. As I have heard Master Kenobi will head the operation with the help of Knight Revan. Padawan Skywalker will be sent to accompany you."

Revan felt slightly offended at being left out but furrowed his brow. Padme and Anakin alone, that would end well. Glancing at the looks the Senator and the Jedi Padawan exchanged, his hopeful and confident and hers wary and measuring, Revan decided to keep his big Mandalorian nose out of it. Whatever the two did would be nothing worse than he or Bastila had done. A smirk worked its way on Revan's face as he thought of their last night together before he felt as if he were choking on the reality of his Force-vision and his face grew troubled.

"Is something wrong, Knight Revan?"

Aayla asked, having sensed a shift in the man's demeanor. Anakin had turned his attention from staring at Padme to look towards Revan with some worry. Revan met both Jedi's gazes and shook his head.

"Just something I was remembering."  
Revan muttered, his eyes turning to Palpatine's. Anakin had looked like he didn't believe him and Revan didn't blame the boy, he almost though he would begin crying right there but refused to let his body give in. His energy was reaching its peak and the air around him was charged with Force-energy. Revan knew one wrong statement, one word could set off a chain reaction that he would not be willing to stop. A voice whispered in his mind to kill them, kill them all and leave to his own time, ignore the troubles he was in but then he remembered Bastila, her eyes burning like azure fire when the sky reflected on their gray depths and he thought of her soft touch, one he knew could be strong as well.

"Excuse me."

Revan stood and left, in a swirl of black robes. Narrowing her eyes, Aayla nodded to Chancellor Palpatine and followed Revan, knowing Anakin would have to stay and begin working out some details on hiding the headstrong Senator. Palpatine leaned back in his seat, his eyes following Revan with interest. The man was obviously dealing with a personal issue and was in an emotional state. Palpatine wanted to say it made the other man weak, but he could not deny the energy that seemed almost tangible within his office. Revan was dangerous and perhaps he needed to worry, perhaps he needed to view Revan as a possible threat to his plans.

"As I was saying, you are to be taken into the care of the Jedi. I do not wish to hear of where you will go, for I fear your assassins have eyes and ears everywhere."

Padme looked slightly surprised at Palpatine's thoughtfulness and genuinely smiled at the man. The Republic had fared well under Palpatine's care thus far and there was no reason to believe Chancellor Palpatine was not what he appeared to be, an aging man who thought of the important issues and ruled the Senate with charisma and fairness. The Separatist threat could not be avoided and Padme felt she could trust Palpatine. What possible ulterior motives could the man have? He was in the position of the most powerful man in the free galaxy. Picking up on Padme's thoughts, Palpatine allowed himself a small smirk.

"You are more correct that you know, my dear..."

Aayla Secura found Revan leaning against a pillar in the exterior of the Senate hall, his brown eyes fixed in the distance as he frowned thoughtfully. Her position was simple, observe Revan as well as his reactions and determine if the man was a threat to the Order, or merely a nuisance. While he was powerful and touched upon the darker aspects of the Force, looking on the man's troubled expression erased any thought of a threat from Aayla's mind and the Twi'lek Jedi Knight leaned against a pillar opposite of Revan, crossing her arms patiently and staring at the man.

"Something you want to talk about?"

The Twi'lek asked calmly, her expression open to let Revan know she was not making light of his feelings. Revan gave a half sigh, half laugh and shook his head.

"Not really, but I should."

Nodding, the Twi'lek waited patiently. She had been chosen for this assignment for her skill and strength in the Force. She could look at a situation logically and was considered one of the strongest and most skilled Knights in the Order. That didn't mean Aayla was heartless though and the Twi'lek waited patiently, unmoving as she stared into Revan's eyes. Something in Revan's eyes brought a stirring of fear into Aayla but she channeled it from her thoughts and focused on his eyes.

"I left behind a woman that I loved... I fear I may never see her again and- and I fear I may lose my way without her."

Raising a brow in surprise, Aayla avoided the obvious question most Jedi would ask and looking further into the issue.

"What was she like?"

Revan gave his half-laugh again and smiled, the look brightening his dark demeanor greatly. Momentarily, Aayla noticed how truly handsome Revan was when he smiled before she buried the errant thoughts and focused.

"She was like fire and ice. A warrior and a teacher. She had enough patience to deal with me and enough strength to stand against my stubborn pride and tell me when she thought I was wrong. She- she was beautiful in every way and- and without her I feel nothing but anger and sadness."

A shaky breath was taken in and Revan looked skyward, his eyes narrowing at the curve of the Senate Rotunda above his head.

"Her eyes were the color of the sky before a storm and her temper was the storm."

Revan smirked at the memories of their arguments, heated and pointless but oh so fun.

"I could spend eternity in her eyes..."  
Revan stopped talking, pushing himself off the column and turning back to the Senate hall. Confused, but saying nothing, Aayla followed and mulled over the brief glimpse of the man Revan revealed. The look in Revan's eyes was primal, animalistic and Aayla felt a growing sense of dread. The animal in Revan was being backed into a corner and while she felt no fear of the man that Revan was, the other part of him, the darkness was there, waiting for its chance to be unleashed.

"We have a duty to Senator Amidala. Until she is safely away from Coruscant it is our duty to protect her and I can't allow my personal feelings to get in the way."

Aayla's brow rose in surprise and she gave Revan a thoughtful and respectful look. The man's demeanor had shifted with incredible clarity and he focused on his mission.  
"That, my friend is a wise decision."

Revan's steps slowed slightly but he did not stop, frowning at the Twi'lek's words. Somewhere in his pathetic display of human emotions he had gained the woman's respect, or perhaps it was her trust. Saying nothing, Revan and Aayla continued onward, both entering the Chancellor's office with no expressions on their faces.

"We're just finishing up."

Palpatine stated, standing and fixing Revan with a penetrating stare. Revan returned the stare before he gave up and turned his eyes to the Chancellor, frowning. Something seemed off for a moment but as soon as it was there it was gone. Assuming it had something to do with his abrupt departure as well as the last time the Chancellor had seen him, Revan let the thought go, concentrating on the issues at hand.

"I apologize but I must take my leave. The Senate is expecting me."

Palpatine gave a slight bow, no more than a tilt of his head and a slight tilt forward from his waist and was gone, his red-robed guards following behind him. Revan glanced at Anakin and Padme speaking quietly to one another and for once had some respect for the boy. Aside from the obvious concern, Anakin was all business, knowing how important it was to protect the Senator and Revan met Anakin's blue eyes when the boy looked up at him and nodded respectfully. Anakin returned the nod, smirking slightly when he realized that his Master as well as Revan would be searching for information on Padme's assassin. They would make a formidable pair indeed.

"If we are finished here I will accompany you to your apartment and then I must take my leave. Master Kenobi as well as Masters Windu and Yoda will meet you there to see you off."

Glancing at Aayla, Padme nodded, slightly annoyed at having to hide but knowing it was the only logical course of action.

"Very well, I appreciate your help, Knight Secura."

Aayla bowed to the Senator, her lips smiling lightly as she looked to Anakin with a raised brow. He seemed to be jumping with energy and the Twi'lek wrote it off as excitement for going on his first solo mission. Anakin was strong and skilled, fully able to protect the Senator against all but the most dire of threats. Glancing at Revan the Twi'lek met Revan's gaze and nodded as they all agreed silently to leave. Escorting the Senator to her apartment and then returning to the Temple, Aayla entered the High Council chambers and bowed to the twelve Jedi Masters as well as the one Jedi Knight aside from herself present.

"Revan's emotions are powerful, he mourns the loss of a loved one but his control is superb. He has channeled his focus and will not be a danger to himself or the mission."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, turning his attention from his fellow Knight to the Councillors. His opinion of Revan had grown steadily after the previous evening and the Council had thought it prudent to send another Jedi Knight to observe Revan's behavior. Obviously Aayla shared his opinion of Revan and the Council agreed that Revan would be most useful in the field, away from his thoughts he would be able to focus his attention on the time he was in and not the distant past.

The day had been long and boring in Revan's opinion. Padme and Anakin were off to her homeworld of Naboo, safely disguised as Refugees.

"Though you wouldn't know it with that woman's bloody taste in clothing..."

Revan sighed to himself. Royalty always had a hard time blending in to the impoverished and frankly the Jedi archives were useless. Unraveling the mystery of the mysterious- A frown of frustration marred Revan's face and the former Dark Lord cast a sour glare towards Jocasta Nu as she again stated that if an item didn't exist in the archives it did not exist. The arrogance of the woman was causing him to wish he had slipped a little when he was holding his lightsaber to her throat and Revan glanced at Obi-Wan seeing the slightly shell-shocked expression on the older Jedi's face. Obviously Obi-Wan was at a loss for words, but he sure wasn't.

"Really? Would you mind looking up the form of torture I used to break the Jedi Master Jorak Uln? It drove him quite mad and I was just curious as to the picture the omnipotent Jedi Archives painted."

A faint flush appeared on Jocasta's cheeks and the Jedi Librarian gave Revan a stern look.

"That you are allowed in here is evidence enough of the Jedi's forgiveness. I will not have you slander our-"

Revan cut the old Jedi off.

"You slander the Jedi yourself with your arrogance and close-mindedness. I managed to sneak into the archives, who is to say someone else hasn't and that the person could not remove the data? Who is to say it wasn't conveniently lost as have been almost all records of my time?"

Jocasta opened her mouth to retort, stopping and fixing Revan with a slightly surprised look. It had been thousands of years since the Jedi Temple had fallen to the Sith but his statement did hold a good, logical point.

"I suppose you could be right but I would consult with Master Yoda before making any conclusions. He is the wisest and oldest of our ranks and perhaps he would know..."

Raising a brow in disappointment at not having more of a fight from the Librarian, Revan gave a subdued nod. He could let it drop if the Jedi was willing to. He had a feeling he would be spending a lot of time in the archives studying about his time.

"Well, unless some unforseen catastrophe engulfs the galaxy."

Rolling his eyes at that, Revan decided to follow Obi-Wan to find Master Yoda instead of provoking Jocasta Nu any further. She made a formidable foe in a staring contest but Revan didn't feel like wasting any more time glaring at the stodgy Jedi. Walking through the halls, Revan nodded to Aayla as he passed her and the Twi'lek returned the nod before turning back to the Jedi she was speaking to and continuing her conversation. Spotting Obi-Wan heading for a room to the side of the foyer of the Temple, Revan moved quickly to catch up. For how much shorter Obi-Wan was than Revan, Revan noted the man walked pretty fast, as if he were used to keeping up with people with longer strides.

"Younglings, younglings. Visitors we have."

Revan smiled slightly at all of the Jedi children crowded together in the room. They were so young he was surprised they used training sabers and not foam-coated sticks but then again, they were all extraordinarily gifted from what Revan could tell and he leaned against the wall beside the doorway, nodding to Yoda and crossing his arms over his chest as he watched the children staring at Obi-Wan. Obviously something about the older human impressed the younglings and Revan thought back on his knowledge of recent galactic history, searching for some reason the children would appear so fascinated with Obi-Wan and not himself. Then again he was a stranger to them and it was highly unlikely any of the children could sense his aura consciously.

"Hello Master Obi-Wan!"

The children all greeted, all glancing uncertainly at Revan. Obi-Wan smiled slightly, nodding to the children.

"Hello..."

Obi-Wan caught the looks of awe the children were giving him and flushed slightly. None of the children were older than six but all of them knew of the notorious Sith-killer. The last Jedi to have killed a Sith in a duel and the first to have killed a Sith in a thousand years. The flush on Obi-Wan's face left quickly as he felt sick, recalling that a Jedi Master, _his_ Jedi Master was killed in that fight.  
"I am sorry to disturb you, Master."

Yoda did not look bothered in the least as he responded.

"What help can I be, Obi-Wan. Hmmm?"

Obi-Wan told Yoda of his and Revan's dilemma, slightly surprised at the Jedi Master's casual response. Yoda looked to the children, a slightly smirk on the ancient Master's face as he spoke.

"Lost a planet, Master Obi-Wan has. How embarrassing... how embarrassing."

Revan snorted on a restrained laugh, clearing his throat and standing up as he approached the two Jedi Masters as Yoda ordered one of the younglings to dim the lighting in the room. Several of the Younglings giggled and Revan was surprised the children weren't chastised as the Jedi of his time had been. Obi-Wan began explaining to Yoda the mystery of the missing world of Kamino, pointing to a blank spt in the map-reader that illuminated the darkened room. Yoda surprised Revan by instead of answering the question's obvious answer, asking one of the children. Revan's respect of the tiny green Jedi Master rose dramatically as he saw what it was. Mandalorians would have done something similar, preparing the children for their harsh future, making them think for themselves and Revan knew he had underestimated the Jedi of this strange time.

Moving slowly through the hangars of the Jedi Temple, Revan let out a low whistle at the agile looking Jedi fighters. They sure beat the Republic Navy surplus the Jedi of his time used. Enviously eyeing the delta-wing design, Revan smirked.

"We get to fly these?"

Obi-Wan chuckled, nodding. Once he relaxed Revan was actually a fairly pleasant fellow.  
"Of course. We'll have to make a stop in orbit to get the hyperdrive rings but in a few minutes we'll be on our way to this Kamino."

Revan nodded absently, seating himself into the cockpit of a black and white colored Jedi fighter. Checking the readouts Revan noticed the hyperdrive rings were both an advantage and a disadvantage. The rings housed the Jedi fighter's hyperdrive engines and by dividing the power, allowed the fighters a much larger power source to maneuvering engines and weapons. The disadvantage of course was having the hyperdrive ring lost or destroyed but seeing the perks in maneuvering speed and weapons power, Revan wished silently he'd had a few of these during the Mandalorian wars.

"Alright, Revan. We've been cleared so follow my lead."

Revan acknowledged, briefly glancing at the black and gold domed R-5 droid beside him before following Obi-Wan's red and white marked fighter from the Jedi Temple.

"Maybe the Jedi of this time aren't so ill equipped as I thought..."

Recalling all of the armor and shielding he had used as a Jedi, Revan felt a small amount of respect for the Jedi from his future. They wore nothing but their robes and while it took away a lot of their defensive capabilities, Revan had seen firsthand that while Anakin Skywalker's saber style had been slightly flawed, that it had a more defensive element than the styles of his time. Sighing, Revan sat back in his fighter's seat and followed Obi-Wan's course.

"It seems like everything is the same... yet slightly different."


	7. Chapter 6: Mandalorians

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 6: Mandalorians

"Dropping out now."

Revan acknowledged Obi-Wan Kenobi's command, pulling his Jedi starfighter out of hyperspace and experimentally doing a barrel roll. Smirking at the craft's speed and maneuverability, Revan glanced over at Obi-Wan's fighter, practically able to see the scowl on the older man's face.

"What say we race to the surface?"

Revan asked excitedly. Obi-Wan briefly pulled his hand from his controls to rub his temples. He didn't need two Anakins, one was bad enough. Revan smirked as he sensed the weariness in the Jedi and decided to proceed at a more subdued speed with his fighter. Disengaging their hyperspace rings in orbit of Kamino, Revan and Obi-Wan's fighters glided gracefully into the atmosphere, the orange glow of heat against their noses giving way to steam as they entered the clouds and the heated metal of the fighters cooled dramatically. A city, suspiciously similar to Ahto city on Manaan loomed before the two Jedi fighters and Revan slowed along with Kenobi to allow a native to pass by on a winged creature. Transmitting a standard Jedi landing code and greeting, a series of flight commands was uploaded to each Jedi fighter and Revan and Kenobi broke apart, both taking landing pads near one another.

"Well that's gotta be good for the interior."

Revan muttered as his canopy slid open and rain almost instantly soaked his fighter's interior as well as himself. Pulling the hood over his black cloak, Revan stood, climbing over the delta-wing shape of his fighter and using the Force to seal the fighter. Spotting Obi-Wan's form on an adjacent landing pad, Revan stretched slightly before approaching the entrance to the Kamino city. Spotting Obi-Wan and a tall, lanky Kaminoan heading towards him, Revan raised his hand, catching their attention.

_"Not like I can bloody hide in all this white..."_

Glaring around at the bright lights surrounding him, Revan pulled back his hood, ignoring the water he was tracking all over the place. His robes felt heavy but then, he didn't particularly care and he greeted the Kaminoan and Obi-Wan respectfully, or respectfully in his opinion by tilting his head to acknowledge their presences. The Kaminoan, Taun We politely launched into an explanation of a clone army ordered by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Listening to the surprise in Obi-Wan's voice and sensing the Kaminoan was innocent of any particular crimes, Revan began reaching out through the Force, sensing thousands of Kaminoans but also something else. A tight frown marred the former Dark Lord's face as he and Obi-Wan were led to the Prime Minister of Kamino, Lama Su. Lama Su proceeded to explain the clones to Obi-Wan and Revan after politely greeting them and Revan felt a cold pit in his stomach, despite his detachment from the era he currently inhabited.

_"Obi-Wan. Can you hear me?"_

Reaching through the Force, Revan saw Obi-Wan tense slightly, giving him a sharp glance before he heard the Jedi's voice in his mind.

_"I'm not even going to ask how in the blazes you're speaking to me right now but go on..."_

Smirking slightly, Revan watched as the Prime Minister proudly presented them with the Clone army. Seeing the precise ranks, the admirable discipline and the glinting white armor, Revan calmly made the association between his Sith shock troopers and the clone troopers.

_"Someone is going out of their way to make sure the Republic has an army. Someone wants a war between the Separatists and the Republic but- why these clones? I can sense little from their minds aside from the will to follow orders... their discipline is superb..."_

Knowing that Revan's knowledge of warfare greatly surpassed his own, Obi-Wan listened to the voice in his mind, nodding politely to Lama Su as he explained the process of cloning in more detail than he really could appreciate.   
_"I sense it as well. They have a diminished ability to think for themselves... they are for lack of a better word drones... though not mindless... Look at the way they function... like a unit... but individually as well they are well-trained..."_

Revan silently agreed with Obi-Wan's assessment. Drawing to a halt at the end of the walkway suspended over the clone training facility, Revan rose a brow slowly at the clones as they drilled in precisely accurate lines, at a loss.   
"Magnificent aren't they..."

The Kaminoan Prime Minister stated. Revan listened as Obi-Wan questioned the Kaminoan about the whereabouts of Jango Fett and he froze, his surprise echoing along the Force.

"I- I'm sorry. Did you say Jango _Fett?_"

Perplexed slightly by Revan's behavior, Obi-Wan's brow furrowed as he studied his companion.

"Why yes, Jango Fett. He was a superb specimen in prime shape. He personally trained the first batch of clones."

Revan's eyes turned to watch the clones sparring with one another, focusing on their motions and he felt his anxiety over the mysterious army grow.

_"Those are Mandalorian martial arts forms..."_

Respecting the near-perfection of the clones fighting styles, Revan suddenly had a great interest in meeting Jango Fett. If the man were anything like his ancestor, Revan knew that Obi-Wan was in for some trouble. Smirking slightly, Revan let the thought of a challenge settle in his mind, taking it away from unpleasant thoughts of a past not yet complete. Obi-Wan asked the Prime Minister of Kamino to meet Jango Fett and the Kaminoan agreed readily, excusing himself and allowing the other Kaminoan, Taun We to lead them to Jango's quarters.

Jango Fett was calmly redressing after a quick shower and glanced at his son, smirking slightly in pride as the boy practiced a complex kata. In three years Boba would be thirteen and ready to face the Mandalorian trials of adulthood. Knowing his _son_ would make a superb Mandalorian, Jango narrowed his eyes slightly when the chime on his door sounded. Boba looked to his father who simply nodded and moved out of his exercise to answer the door. Moving to his dresser, Jango calmly pulled one of his pistols from his holster, hiding the weapon in his waistband behind his back as he calmly straightened the sleeves of his tunic.

"Boba, is your father here?"

Boba Fett glanced warily at the two men with Taun We and, with superb discipline for a ten year old managed to hide his suspicion behind what would otherwise look like child-like wariness.

"Yup."

Revan studied the olive-skinned youth before him, raising a brow in surprise. The boy looked to be about ten, the same age he had been when he had left the Mandalorians and joined the Jedi Order. The boy's emotions and thoughts were hidden well and Revan, not wanting to harm the boy's mind, decided to watch rather than interfere.

"May we see him?"

Boba studied the men before him for an instant before he replied.

"Sure."

Turning, the boy called to his father.

"Dad, Taun We's here."

A child-like call, not at all like a Mandalorian. Revan's eyes narrowed the barest of fractions. It was obviously a warning. Glancing beside the boy, Revan spotted an open closet and a set of Mandalorian armor similar, though slightly different to the armor the Mandalorians of his time wore. Before he could closely examine the differences a large man, identical to the clones he had seen before blocked his view, looking as though he had just stepped from the fresher. Lama Su introduced Obi-Wan while Revan made himself rather scarce, simply nodding and pretending he was an escort for Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan began questioning Jango immediately while Revan and Taun We stood back. Jango smirked slightly at the challenge in the Jedi's voice, speaking politely and frankly. Revan listened, not speaking while Jango ordered Boba in Mando'a to close the closet and Revan calmly crossed his arms, waiting for the discussion to finish. Jango's eyes were fixed on Obi-Wan most of the time, though Revan could feel Jango glancing at him from time to time and the bounty hunter firmly reigned in his thoughts. Obi-Wan felt it wise to avoid a direct confrontation before speaking with the Council and dismissed himself while Revan lingered, returning the hard stare Jango gave him.

"Something I can help you with, Master Jedi?"

Though his voice was calm, Revan could sense the threat the Mandalorian was directing towards him. Revan merely smiled offering a simple Mandalorian salute and left without a word, leaving Jango to look after the former Dark Lord with a troubled frown.

"Dad?"

Boba asked, Jango's jaw clenched slightly.

"Get your things. We're leaving."

Boba nodded, gathering his things quickly and Jango moved to his closet, setting his pistol on a dresser as he quickly pulled on his armor. Something wasn't right about the last Jedi and he had a feeling that he'd have to hurry if he didn't want to spend the rest of his life dishonored in a prison cell. Obi-Wan Kenobi felt a small disturbance in the Force and frowned. Feeling another, larger disturbance in the Force the Jedi Master's frown deepened and he slowed his steps to glance back at his companion.

"I sensed a disturbance in the Force... did you sense it as well?"

Obi-Wan asked, wanting to clarify exactly what he was sensing. One was centered on Kamino but another seemed further away, more urgent. Revan slowed to a stop and rose a brow at Obi-Wan.

"I always sense disturbances in the Force. Its like a bloody fireworks show."

Giving Revan a patient look, Obi-Wan waited. Concentrating, Revan reached back into his senses.

"The bounty hunter is leaving and you Padawan is getting antsy about something."

Surprise flickered across Obi-Wan's face and the Jedi Master made to ask before Revan cut him off.

"I've got a fairly clear connection to the Force unlike most of you Jedi of this time. I sensed the disturbance and I decided we should give the Mandalorian a head start. Mandalorians are dangerous when cornered..."

Scowling at that, Obi-Wan took off past Revan, shouting back for the former Sith Lord to inform the Council.

"What about your Padawan?"

Revan shouted after Kenobi. Obi-Wan stopped a moment, glancing back at Revan.

"I'll stop the bounty hunter, you find out what's wrong with Anakin. I doubt he'd tell me anyways."

A hint of bitterness crept into the Jedi's tone before he continued on after Jango Fett and Revan rose a brow. Reaching into the Force and feeling along Obi-Wan's path, Revan knew it would only get complicated and likely messy if he went along. Having killed enough Mandalorians for a lifetime, Revan moved to his Jedi fighter, frowning when he sensed a strain on Obi-Wan's presence within the Force. Moving back towards Obi-Wan's position, Revan reached the platform in time to see the Jedi Master throw a tracker onto Jango Fett's ship as it blasted off to parts unknown. Breathing heavily, Obi-Wan rushed past Revan and Revan moved to catch up.

"Never mind about the Council, I'll track him in my fighter and then let them know where we end up. You see what is bothering Anakin. He may need your help."

Revan nodded at Obi-Wan's order and began sprinting to his own fighter. The Jedi Master's concern over his Padawan caused him to overlook just how dangerous Jango Fett was but he knew Revan had a tracker that could easily find him. Revan seated himself in his Jedi fighter and hoped absently that the interior was waterproof. Keying in Anakin's locator beacon, Revan decided the Council would likely question everything he told them about the Clones and decided to leave it to Obi-Wan. Revan checked the controls and noted they seemed to be fine before he brought his fighter out of Kamino's atmosphere. An image of the region of the galaxy appeared on Revan's map and the former Dark Lord scowled as the small tracker showed him Anakin was between Tatooine and Naboo, heading for the more unpleasant world. Punching in the coordinates for Tatooine, Revan adjusted his course from Naboo to Tatooine and hoped four thousand years had improved the miserable sandball.

Obi-Wan Kenobi came out of hyperspace near an asteroid belt near Geonosis and frowned as he moved at a safe distance behind the tracker signal on Jango Fett's Slave I. The Jedi Master briefly sent an update on his position to Revan's fighter, knowing that the Jedi from the past would likely be tracking him shortly after dealing with Anakin. Concerned slightly that he could sense a disturbance from Anakin so far away, Obi-Wan reflected on the severity of such a disturbance before his fighter's alarms sounded and he cursed, knowing he'd been spotted.

"Oh this is why I hate flying!"

Anakin Skywalker moved through the streets of Mos Espa with a purpose. Behind the Jedi Padawan, Senator Padme Amidala Naberrie found herself straining to keep up with the Jedi's long strides before they found themselves outside of a very familiar shop that neither had seen in over a decade. A flicker of shame entered Padme's heart as she realized that Anakin's mother had continued to be a slave even after the boy had saved her homeworld by destroying the Trade Federation's droid control ship. The lack of thought she or the Jedi had given to the boy's mother had been appalling but part of her knew that it was not the Jedi's fault entirely. Anakin had been closed when speaking to Obi-Wan and the Jedi Knight knew little about the boy's mother. Qui-Gon had been killed by Darth Maul and any knowledge of Shmi Skywalker had died with the Jedi Master.   
_"I was just so busy trying to rebuild my world..."_

Thinking of how quickly the issues of slavery on Tatooine had been brushed aside by herself and the Senate, Padme glanced at the ground as Anakin spoke with his former owner, Watto. There was really no excuse and she wondered idly how she could have been so thoughtless. The fact that the savior of her world's mother was a slave and that no one had done a thing to free her weighed on her heart and she glanced at Anakin, hoping the young man could forgive her. She'd only just started feeling for the young man and to have that knowledge destroy him would have been tragic. Concern for Anakin and his mother replacing any concern she had over the state of the galaxy, Padme took Anakin's hand in her own, drawing a startled look from the Padawan as she offered a small, hopeful smile.

"We'll find her, Anakin. Don't worry."

Anakin nodded, though his face was troubled and Padme hoped her words of reassurance would be true.

"Tatooine how I've missed you..."

Revan's voice held so much sarcasm it was a wonder Tatooine itself did not take offence and swallow his Jedi fighter in a sandstorm. Checking the traffic flowing to and from the planet's surface, Revan was slightly surprised at the number of settlements and lifeforms his scanners detected. Glancing sidelong at the droid on his fighter's wing, Revan decided to keep his thoughts to himself and brought the fighter into Tatooine's atmosphere. Tracking a Nubian transponder, Revan brought up Anakin's signal beacon and hailed the Padawan. Silence followed and Revan frowned, keying in another set of commands and trying again.

"He- hello?"

Padme Amidala's voice answered with a slight waver of uncertainty over the communicator and the former Dark Lord of the Sith frowned, reaching out with his senses and trying to find Anakin. The boy was on an entirely different part of the planet from his Jedi communicator.

"Senator, this is Knight Revan. Kenobi and I sensed a disturbance from Anakin, what is going on? Why isn't Skywalker using this channel?"

Revan was used to strict, almost military discipline when it came to Jedi communications and he wondered if Anakin hadn't gotten himself captured. It would make sense as to why the boy didn't have his communicator.

"W- well I- I would assume his Master would be here..."

Revan didn't need the Force to sense that something was off and replied in a clipped tone.

"Obi-Wan was busy getting shot at and chasing down your assassin's boss. We both felt this was extremely important with the warnings in the Force and we were forced to divide our efforts... now. Where is Padawan Skywalker?"

The blunt and direct manner in Revan's voice offered no compromise and he waited, impatiently as his fighter hovered to a stop, halfway between Anakin's Force-presence and his communicator's transponder.

"It- its- Obi-Wan is in trouble?"

Revan rolled his eyes.

"He's chasing a Mandalorian, or course he's in trouble. Am I needed here or can I go help him?"

Not wanting to set foot on Tatooine, Revan decided to give himself a way out and waited. The Senator seemed to pause at that before she replied.

"Anakin is fine, just resolving a personal issue, I think you'd better go help Master Kenobi."

The formal tone of a Senator and Revan acknowledged, bringing his fighter about and blasting out of Tatooine's orbit. As he activated his hyperdrive, the former Dark Lord of the Sith's brow furrowed and he looked over his shoulder towards Tatooine. Something was definitely wrong but the Senator was safe and Anakin was apparently fine... but as the hyperspace corridor opened up and he was pulled in, Revan wondered if he should have stayed on Tatooine, especially with the amount of darkside Force-energy he sensed being expended on the surface as he jumped. Already out of range and unable to communicate while in hyperspace, Revan sat back, frowned at his still soaked robes and activated the fighter's information on Geonosis. No sense going in completely blind.

Having followed Jango Fett to the surface of Geonosis, Jedi Knight and Master Obi-Wan Kenobi found a much more sinister force behind Senator Amidala's assassination attempts. Count Dooku and the bounty hunter, who would both take offense to the title; were merely pawns of a much larger game being played by the Separatist movement within the Republic. Listening in as long as he dared, Obi-Wan quickly made his way back to his damaged fighter, trying to find a way to reach Coruscant. Anakin came immediately to mind and Obi-Wan raised his Padawan, frowning when no one answered. Checking the signal again, Obi-Wan frowned deeper.

"What the blazes is he doing on Tatooine?"

Shaking his head, Obi-Wan rerouted the communication to the Council to Anakin's signal beacon. Within moments of beginning, Obi-Wan sensed a disturbance in the Force and cut off his message rather abruptly.

"Wait- Wait!"

A Droideka, heavily armored and shielded rolled into view and the Jedi Knight was hard pressed to deflect its assault. The droid on his fighter's wing was fried and Obi-Wan found that more Droidekas were joining the one attacking him.

"Blast it all!"

Obi-Wan began moving his lightsaber in intricate patterns, allowing the Force to guide his movements and protect his body while Geonosians began to appear in the area. A sonic boom overhead drew his and the Geonosian's attention for a split second and Obi-Wan curiously raised a brow as the Droideka turned their guns on the new arrival. A Jedi fighter flew directly over the scene, four precise blasts from its powerful blaster cannons ripping through the Droideka's shields and sending the Geonosians and the Jedi running for cover.

"What the blazes are you doing?"

Obi-Wan shouted over his Jedi communicator to who he assumed was Revan. Revan's voice was calm, flat and descriptive.

"Smashing things."

Rolling his eyes, Obi-Wan stood, brushing off the dust on his robes and frowned as a dozen more Droideka moved in around him. Looking up towards Revan's fighter, Obi-Wan saw the Trade Federation starships firing at the single Jedi fighter and launching hundreds upon hundreds of fighters.

"Freeze!"  
Obi-Wan glanced sharply at the armored form of Jango Fett and sighed. Obviously someone wanted him alive or he'd have been dead by then. Deciding he wouldn't go down without a fight, Obi-Wan managed to run through a Geonosian and destroy a Droideka before Jango Fett tossed a stun grenade at the Jedi Master, stunning him moments later with his blaster pistols. Jango then turned his eyes to the air battle above him and smirked. The other Jedi would be dead rather quickly and they had their bargaining tool for the Republic. If Kenobi could be convinced of Sidious' hold over the Republic, or if the Jedi's faith in the Republic could be shaken, then Dooku could take the younger man on as an apprentice and overthrow Sidious' rule. Dooku paid well and didn't bother with the vague threats Sidious commonly used and that, a Mandalorian bounty hunter could appreciate.

"Well this is fun."

Revan muttered bitterly as he wove his Jedi fighter between the sandstone of a Geonosian canyon. Somewhere miles behind him Obi-Wan had been knocked unconscious and Revan was hard-pressed to avoid the efficient and calculated droid pilots of the fighters pursuing him. A common misconception was that droids were clumsy and lacked reasoning power. The way the droid-controlled fighters behind him were matching his every move and following the course of the canyon was enough to chase any lingering doubts from Revan's mind. Spinning his fighter in a barrel roll, Revan heard the alarms on his fighter over the popping of blaster-bolts against his fighter's relatively weak shields and pushed the nose of the craft downward, skimming the base of the canyon and getting below the sensor net provided by the Trade Federation starships. Double-checking his fighter's sensors as he swept his fighter in an s-shaped pattern, Revan took in a calming breath, collected the Force around him and pulled back on the yoke of the fighter.

A single Jedi starfighter pulled directly upward, its engines burning out and dying as it climbed and as it reached the top of the canyon, blaster-fire from dozens of droid-controlled fighters shot the craft to pieces. Invisible to the sensors of the droids, a single black blur had leapt from the fighter as it came level to the side of the canyon and as the fighter exploded in a brilliant ball of fire and metal, the blur vanished entirely from sight as the stealth field generator on his belt activated, making him completely invisible.

Wasting no time, Revan had immediately began moving back from where he had come, his senses reaching out while simultaneously shielding him and the former Sith Lord glanced back at the smoke rising from his ride off Geonosis. Glancing ahead of him, Revan's eyes lingered on the spherical shape of a Trade Federation starship in the distance and he smirked ruefully.

_"I'll just have to get another ride off this rock."_


	8. Chapter 7: Clones, Droids and a Pissed o

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 7: Clones, Droids and a Pissed off Sith Lord

Sand, it was by far Revan's most hated foe. The tiny grains of crystalline quartz seemed to coat every opening, seeping through collars and sleeves and cracks and microscopic holes in fabric to get, as Mission Vao had once said; _everywhere._ A lone figure walked at a fairly rapid pace under the sweltering heat of Geonosis' sun and for those who had known him as Darth Revan and had seen his face, their only response would have been to cower. Two brown eyes, dull and dark glittered dangerously over a dust and sand-covered face. The well-trimmed goatee of the former Dark Lord of the Sith was matted with sweat mixed with sand and was a peculiar shade of tan. Once clean and soaked, thanks to Kamino, antiquated Jedi robes that were a rich shade of black were now tan, perfect camouflage in the desert; more resembling a Tusken raider's robes than a Jedi's. A heavy cloak swayed in the slight breeze of Geonosis' reddish-brown sands, hanging heavily on the shoulders of its owner. The corners of Revan's mouth were perfectly straight, a small twitch working beneath his left eye and a slight tremble of barely restrained rage shook his shoulders. Two lightsabers were held in Revan's gloved hands, inactive as their cylindrical forms moved upward and downward in a calming gesture Revan usually followed through with by killing large amounts of sentient beings. Oh how he hated sand.

"Right..."

The once distant forms of Trade Federation starships were now towering over the former Dark Lord and providing him with some shade. A trail of footsteps were visible in the sand, behind Revan and stretching for miles. It had taken hours, nearly half of a day to get back to the Trade Federation ships and Revan was in the mood to destroy. A distant roaring echo of ten thousand cheers and shouts and roars echoed in the air and the deceptively calm face turned to stare at a towering arena, distant specks fluttering about it like an insect swarm. The blank expression on Revan's face was marred by a single, spasmodic twitch of his left eye.

"Right."

Revan repeated, taking in a deep breath. Bypassing stealth, Revan opted to activating his personal shield and moved to the base of the arena, one of his lightsabers hovering three yards in front of him and spinning in a circle as Geonosians were pulled by an invisible, impossibly powerful hand and into the spinning blue blade. Screams were drowned out by the roar of the crowded arena and the former Sith Lord was able to reach the interior of the arena, calmly killing the guards and spectators around him with brutal efficiency before his lightsaber stopped its spin and moved to his belt, deactivating as it fixed itself firmly in place. A shake of his shoulders brought forth a cloud of dust, but Revan ignored it, calmly brushing off his face and his robes before activating a single, crimson-bladed lightsaber and slicing through the gate barring his entrance into the arena.

To their credit, the two mounted arena guards noticed the red and black blur before they were cut off their mounts and the creatures were, through a subtle push through the Force, advised by Revan to be elsewhere. The cheers of the arena died down as all eyes turned from the two Jedi and single Nubian Senator fighting for their lives to the intruder. Revan's hand extended and in two seconds flat the three beasts attacking Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme Amidala dropped in their tracks, dead. The arena fell deathly silent and the shaking in Revan's shoulders grew slightly as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Oh I'm sorry! Am I interrupting something?"

Revan's dark eyes immediately caught sight of the Separatist leaders and he broke into a Force-enhanced sprint, tossing his two extra sabers to two equally confused Jedi as he took a running leap into the air and landed beside Count Dooku and Jango Fett. Fett immediately went for his weapons, too slow as Revan grabbed the collar of the Mandalorian's metal chest piece and flung him over the railing and down to the arena floor. The Mandalorian reacted quickly and spared himself any serious injury but found himself at the receiving end of Obi-Wan Kenobi's borrowed blue blade. The Jedi Master held his gaze with the faceless visor and Jango held his hands out to his sides, not making a move as the saber inched closer to his neck.

"I wouldn't."

Obi-Wan threatened, his face calm and his eyes promising. Jango made no moves and waited for an opening.

"That was... impressive..."

Count Dooku stated calmly, though inside he was terrified. The blatant use of Force-energy seemed to only energize the young, mysterious man before him and the apprentice of the Dark Lord of the Sith swallowed and gazed at the lowered crimson blade.

"Who controls the fighters that chased me?"

Revan's voice was calm, even and polite and the former Sith Lord kept his eyes roaming for any moves, whether to fight or to flee. Dooku could hear footsteps behind him and looked over his shoulder, feeling at a loss. Two hundred and twelve lightsabers ignited almost as one, filling the silent arena with their recognizable humming and the Geonosians panicked, taking flight and abandoning their arena as the Jedi made their presence known. Mace Windu nodded to Revan, his saber inactive but firmly in his hand as he fixed his gaze with Count Dooku.

"Master Windu... How pleasant of you to join us..."

Mace's saber activated and hovered to the throat of Nute Gunray.

"This party is over."

Mace stated, his face stern. Revan had other plans in mind, his crimson blade rising and stopping as it singed Dooku's throat. Mace immediately stopped, his hard gaze shifting between the separatist leaders, the Sith Lord from the present and the Sith Lord from the past. Dooku cleared his throat, a tensing between his dark brows showing a hint of his frayed nerves as he calmly spoke.

"Brave... but foolish, my old Jedi friend.. You are impossibly outnumbered..."

Mace, answering moved his blade from Gunray's throat to join Revan's at Dooku's.

"I don't think so."

The Korun Jedi Master stated with absolute certainty. The distinct sound of Droidekas drew Mace into a defensive stance as the Separatists scattered and made way for their reinforcements to fire. Mace soon found himself heading to the arena floor, spinning in mid-air and tossing aside his cloak as he joined a dozen other Jedi in the sands of the arena to defend the onslaught. Revan remained, his saber still at Dooku's throat and the former Jedi Master turned an incredulous gaze to the younger man as the Droidekas fired a volley directly into Revan. A translucent blue field shimmered to life and Revan tilted his head, ignoring the alarm of his shield overloading. A crimson blade rose and pushed Revan's blade back from where it moved to decapitate the Count and Revan jumped to the railing, moving to the arena seats instead of the floor. A veteran of many battles, Revan knew not to give up the high ground. Count Dooku watched the movements of his mysterious would-be killer and rubbed a hand at the scorch-mark on his neck, wincing.

Two hundred and twelve lightsaber blades dropped quickly to a hundred as hordes of battle droids streamed into the arena. The battle had not lasted even a minute before half the Jedi present were dead and Revan, with a deep scowl decided to save the Jedi. A powerful wave of Force energy cleared a spot on the arena floor and Revan landed beside Aayla Secura, startling the nearly overwhelmed Twi'lek Jedi Knight. Aayla nodded her thanks to Revan as he cut down the droids around her and covered him as he deactivated his saber and attached it to his belt within a fraction of a second. The former Dark Lord's eyes flickered slightly as he lowered his head to the ground, extending both of his arms parallel to the ground and outward, forming a T with his body. The Force itself seemed to cloud the air as orange energy, similar to lightning shot from Revan's extended hands. Dooku's eyes widened at the sight and many of the Jedi and Geonosians fighting stopped completely to witness the spectacle as twenty battle droids smoked and sputtered, overloading from the unnatural energy shooting from Revan's fingertips.  
"Not yet."

Revan shouted as Aayla too stopped. The Twi'lek immediately covered Revan, raising her blue blade to deflect the shots fired at both of them and a sandstorm rose from the arena floor, lifting lightsabers of fallen Jedi into the air. As one, the sabers ignited and a deadly whirlwind of blue and green blades spun in a spectacular display, destroying hundreds of battle droids. Revan felt his hold on so many weapons weakening and let them stop, using the last of his vast strength in the Force to hurl dozens of battle droids into one another. A pile of smoldering machines littered the circle of Jedi at the center of the arena and all eyes fell to Revan as the former Dark Lord laughed insanely.

"Impossibly outnumbered!"

Revan bellowed, his voice carrying through the sounds of dying machines and humming blades. Dooku's surprised and shocked features slowly relaxed as he saw hundreds more droids filter into the arena. With a single motion of his hand they all fell still and Dooku gazed not at Mace but at Revan as he spoke.

"You have fought bravely, worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi Ord-"

Dooku dropped all pretenses of calm when Revan moved, his form a blur of red and black as it sliced through dozens of droids and towards him. As if invigorated by the sight instead of shocked, the Jedi moved outward, slicing through the unprepared droids as they reactivated their battle protocol and opened fire. Easily a thousand droids fell before Dooku looked upward at the sight of transports and starcruisers swarming the sky above. Despite the interference of the powerful, mysterious stranger, his Master's plans were unfolding as predicted. Dooku and the Separatist leaders retreated from the scene before Revan could reach them and the former Sith Lord settled for turning the droids and Geonosians he found into smoldering scraps and steaming body parts. His powers were almost spent in the ridiculous display of strength, but Revan had taken down dozens, possibly hundreds of battle droids single-handedly through techniques forgotten to the Sith and the Jedi. Revan was not called the Heart of the Force for nothing.

Standing where Obi-Wan had hastily left him when the battle droids arrived, Jango Fett's expression was impossible to read through his mask. Torn between fighting and fleeing, Jango caught sight of his clone, his son and made his decision, his jet pack taking him from the arena floor and to his son's side.

"We're leaving."

Jango ordered. Boba, his face a mask of awe at the battle before him did not react and Jango grabbed his son, rocketing away and towards his ship. He'd get his son out of there and train harder. They stood no chance against the mysterious Jedi and they needed to grow stronger, more skilled if they were to challenge such a warrior.

Padme Amidala Naberrie had been fortunate, or unfortunate enough to end up in a clone transport with Obi-Wan and Anakin. None of the occupants commented on the impressive, impossible display from Revan and the Senator glanced back at the rapidly shrinking form of the arena. Revan hadn't made it to one of the transports and the last she'd seen he was still fighting. Silently, as she listened to Obi-Wan and Anakin shout strategies and plans, she hoped he was okay.

Jedi Knight Aayla Secura was standing back to back with Revan as the two Jedi's crimson and azure blades created an impenetrable wall, shielding them from the deadly blaster bolts around them. A gap in the defense, too small for the droids to exploit brought a pause to Aayla as she felt something pressed to her forearm. Glancing down as she allowed the Force to guide her actions she frowned at the wrist-shield Revan had somehow attached to her. Quickly activating the energy field the Twi'lek collected her energy for the escape she knew Revan was intending for them.  
"Now!"  
Revan shouted and as one the Twi'lek and human broke into a sprint, running across the arena floor to the side, cutting down droids as they went and deflecting fire back. Several dozen clones, left behind by the transports fired on the still advancing stream of droids and Revan and Aayla found a slight reprieve from the combat in the stadium seats as the clones steadily moved back with them.

"You fought well."

Revan complimented Aayla between gasps, panting for breath. The Twi'lek nodded, panting as heavily and soaked with sweat. She noticed Revan looked as bad as she did and to top it off was a shade paler than normal.  
"You fought... ridiculously well."

The Twi'lek grinned at the human's blank look before Revan chuckled, finding for the first time in the strange time a familiar comfort. A comrade, an equal in battle joking at their exploits. He hadn't had that since Malak and Taya Kenobi. He'd been too attracted or angry or smitten with Bastila, too wary of Juhani and too annoyed with Jolee to feel that way. Canderous and Carth were both exceptionally skilled fighters but lacked the Force and Revan found it reassuring to know someone was able to watch his back as well as he could watch theirs. Without distraction. Speaking of distractions.

"Fall back to the corridors, we'll set up fortifications and hopefully bottleneck their superior numbers."

Revan shouted to the clones that had been sent to assist he and Aayla. The ranking clone, identified by a red marking on his otherwise white armor nodded, not having time for a salute as he returned fire with the droids on the arena floor and the two Jedi and dozen clones withdrew to the winding corridors leading to the arena, adding a hundred more droids to the scrap pile before Republic reinforcements arrived and relieved them of the immediate threat.

"Bloody Hell I could sleep for a week."

Revan muttered, brushing sand and sweat from his brow. Aayla laughed at that, unable to fully restrain the emotion as she silently agreed. Revan's amused expression sobered at the sight of dozens of Jedi and clone corpses. In the distance a Trade Federation starship was shot from the sky, dropping like a rock and exploding, creating a gigantic shockwave as debris and sand rained down. "We'd better get to it. The battle is just starting."

Leaning against a wall and still trying to catch her breath, Aayla nodded and half-stumbled, half-ran with Revan to a transport where both Jedi were taken to the heart of the fight on Geonosis.

On another part of Geonosis, an exhausted Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi had fought against and were defeated by Darth Tyrannus. Both Jedi were saved by the arrival of the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, Yoda, who dueled his former Padawan to a stalemate, unable to finish the fight due to Dooku's treachery. Late afternoon turned into night and the four primary moons of Geonosis hung above in the sky as Clones, Jedi, Geonosians and droids continued to battle for control of the world. Despite having no rank with the Republic Clone army the Jedi were regarded as the commanders and leaders and the Clones obediently followed their orders, in the end winning the Battle of Geonosis.

By the time the last clone returned to his ship or the last Jedi sheathed their blade, sixty thousand clones had fallen and a hundred and eighty six Jedi joined their clone comrades as killed in action. The Separatist losses were not catalogued but in the end, hundreds of thousands of battle droids were left as scrap in orbit or on the surface.

Siri Tachi joined her lifelong friend Bant Eerin in the hangar of a Acclamator class assault transport. The human Jedi Knight sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes as she opened the seal to her Jedi fighter and retracted the canopy. The battle over the world of Geonosis was as brutal as the one on its surface and the loss of life was staggering. Walking across the gray metal deck, Siri nodded to Bant as the Mon Calamari Jedi Healer climbed down from her fighter.

"Did you hear any word from the surface? My comms got fried during that last engagement."

Bant knew Siri was asking about their fellow Jedi and friends on the surface and the Mon Calamari frowned slightly, shaking her head. A Clone Captain approached the two Jedi and saluted.

"Healer Bant?"

The Clone asked, having been briefed on the Jedi arriving on the ship. The Mon Calamari nodded and the Clone continued.

"We've begun receiving injured from the surface and while we are equipped to deal with the casualties, your help would be most welcomed."

Bant nodded and the Clone saluted before rushing to a badly damaged fighter and helping to carry an injured Clone pilot. Bant turned to Siri, her brow furrowed at the blank look on her friend's face.

"Use your feelings... We- we lost a lot of friends today but- but Obi-Wan-"

Siri's blue eyes snapped to Bant's silver and the Mon Calamari stopped speaking, silenced by the glare.

"Who says I'm thinking of Obi-Wan?"

The young woman asked defensively. Bant sighed, moving past her stubborn friend and following the Clone Captain to where the wounded were being treated. Siri moved to the side of her fighter, staring at the scorches marring its once pristine surface and sighed, staring out of the hangar's opening and towards Geonosis.  
"You'd better be okay, Kenobi. Or I'll kill you myself."

Aayla Secura sat calmly in the back of a fully loaded transport with Revan Bloodraven, her brown eyes studying the mysterious and powerful Jedi from the past. The display of power on Geonosis was almost ridiculous and the shields, she had no idea how he had come across such powerful personal shields but the Twi'lek was silently grateful. They had likely saved her life, or perhaps saved her a painful injury. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi were not so lucky. Both Jedi were heavily sedated and in the transport ahead of them, going to the same ship. Glancing sidelong at the Twi'lek's stare, Revan sighed, asking.

"I suppose you want to know how I did all that?"

The Twi'lek rose a brow but nodded slowly, her eyes narrowed.

"I didn't know... anyone could do what you did down there... That was- that was just incredible..."

Revan huffed on a half-laugh, shaking his head.

"I come from a time when the Force was as clear as an Alderaanian stream. So easy to read, so easy to reach that you could just... let it flow through you forever. I could have done much, much more in my own time but the weapons and tactics of my time were made to fight against such things. Armor was designed on the basis of ancient Sith alchemy to resist Force-powers and a well-trained and equipped Force-blind was just as deadly as the most powerful Sith or the most serene Jedi Master. I suppose you could say the Force has atrophied and its students and the galaxy with it. I doubt I could have pulled something that ridiculous off in my own time..."

Half-smiling at that, Revan leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes and letting the Force soothe his aching muscles. A weak bond was forming between himself and the Twi'lek, similar to a training bond and Revan allowed a simple technique in his time, one of the most complex of the Jedi of this era to flow from him to Aayla. The Rutian Twi'lek sighed as the aching in her body eased and she nodded her thanks to Revan as the former Sith Lord opened his eyes and met hers.

"I can teach you and the Jedi a lot but it can't be told... it has to be experienced. By seeing what the Force is capable of, it will let the other Jedi explore their bonds with it, ignoring the barriers their mind place between what is possible and what is impossible. You must first let go of your restraints, let go of what you deem impossible. What I showed you and the others in that arena is but a fraction of what we, the Jedi are capable of. Close your eyes Aayla."

Obeying the command, the Twi'lek closed her eyes, reminded of her Master Quinlan Vos and his teachings. Revan's voice was calm, gentle, likely from exhaustion but he held no hint of irritation at having to teach. If what she sensed along their fledgling bond was any indication, he relished the thought of teaching, of passing on his knowledge.  
"We will start easy. Find your weapon."

Aayla's thoughts immediately turned to her lightsaber attached to her hip and she closed her mind around the extension of her body, the tool of her trade.

"No, ease off. Look not only at your weapon but around it as well."

Revan's voice was gentle, patient and Aayla followed the direction, sensing Revan and his weapon as well.

"Look further now, but keep your mind's eye on your weapon and mine."

Revan instructed, smiling at how quickly the Jedi was learning.  
"Good Aayla. Now, with your mind, not your hand pick up your weapon."

Aayla's lightsaber rose from her belt and into the space between herself and Revan and the former Sith Lord nodded, his smile growing. Reaching a hand down to his belt, Revan felt Aayla tense as he removed his weapon and raised it, keeping the blade inactive.

"Take my blade from me."

Revan felt a pull from the Force, infinitely stronger than his physical grasp pull his weapon away from his hand and both lightsabers hovered beside one another, mirroring a two-handed Nimian stance.

"Open your eyes."

Aayla opened her eyes slowly, her brow immediately shooting up as she saw her weapon and Revan's looking as though an invisible Jedi were holding them in place in an opening Jar'Kai stance. She had since lost her hold but Revan kept them where they had been and nodded to the Twi'lek, an encouraging smile on his face.

"Its only a simple matter of manipulating their movements to do as I did in the arena."

Revan focused the Force, moving the two weapons in a fairly simple opening stance while keeping their deadly blades inactive.

"Its- its so easy..."

Aayla's voice was confused but the young Knight was staring at the weapons with an open, accepting expression. Revan nodded, smirking.

"Ridiculously so if you know what to look for."

Sensing that Revan had been feeding her the instructions through their bond, the Twi'lek reached out, pulling her weapon from the air and reattaching it to her belt while Revan did the same. His other two lightsabers were lost, one sliced in half by Count Dooku in his fight with Obi-Wan and Anakin and the other taken by Force-knew who. He just knew neither Obi-Wan nor Anakin were armed... Anakin less armed than his Master when he and Aayla arrived to check on them after the battle.

"Practice on your own at a more appropriate time and we can find something more interesting to do. Like fry some droids."

Remembering the strange orange energy Revan had produced from his fingertips, Aayla nodded to that, feeling strangely excited over the thought of learning forgotten knowledge in the Force. Not a single ounce of dark energy had been sensed from Revan when he had unleashed that attack and Aayla knew it would do no harm to learn the technique. The Jedi from the past and the future fell into a companionable silence, both troubled by the battle and the loss of life but neither allowing it to hold back their thoughts.

Padme Amidala Naberrie glanced at the Mon Calamari that entered the medical bay of the Republic ship she, Anakin and Obi-Wan had been ferried to. Padme had been taken along to have the scratch along her back treated and the Senator rose a brow at the Jedi as she stopped in her tracks and gasped.

"Oh Obi, Anakin what happened?"

Obi-Wan, half awake, half asleep, mumbled incoherently as he shifted. Anakin sat motionless, his missing appendage bandaged around his wound. Padme, feeling the need to speak as she sat beside Anakin's bed, decided to answer.

"Count Dooku."

Bant sighed heavily, shaking her head as she looked around the room for any others that were critically injured. Obi-Wan wouldn't want someone else dying because she was treating him and she knew Anakin, despite his arrogance would likely feel the same way. Padme watched the healer move past the Jedi, at first angry at the thought of Anakin and Obi-Wan going untreated before she caught sight of a Clone missing half his face, a once white bandage wrapped around his head and soaked through with blood. Schooling her features, Padme glanced back at Anakin, laying a hand gently on his forehead and sighing to herself, not noticing a blond, blue-eyed human Jedi that stood at the doorway, staring at Obi-Wan with a concerned frown marring her beautiful features.

A shuffle of feet alerted Padme to new arrivals and she froze at the sight of Revan. While he had been terrifying in his armor and intimidating in his black robes, he was outright a walking apocalypse to her after what she had seen him do on Geonosis. She'd been enthralled by Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon when they had rescued her on Naboo a decade before and impressed, slightly awed by Anakin's powers but to see the sheer destruction the Force could unleash was, for lack of a better word, frightening. To think that there were beings out there with that kind of power, seeking to use it to destructive ends was truly frightening and she found herself hoping to never look upon another Sith Lord.

"How are they?"

Revan asked Siri Tachi as he and Aayla Secura came to a stop outside of the overburdened medical bay. Siri glared at Revan, seeing an outlet for her anger before she shook her head, restraining the childish impulse. Revan was a Jedi and at times like this, Jedi needed to stand together. That and the concerned look on his face all but abolished Siri's anger at the situation.

"Dooku cut Obi-Wan through his thigh and his bicep from what I can sense... severing his muscles. He'll need treatment in a bacta tank and some therapy before he's back to normal and Anakin... Anakin lost an arm."

Revan could sense a lingering dark energy and knew the boy had likely taken a big blast of Force-lightning to the chest too. Narrowing his eyes at the faint burns on the boy's neckline, Revan knew most of the damage was hidden beneath Jedi robes, though scorches and burns were visible in the dark brown material.

"And the Senator?"

Revan asked, knowing his mission had partially been to protect the Senator. Siri frowned, reaching out through the Force and sensing the young woman's concern for Obi-Wan but mostly Anakin and her fear. Glancing back at Revan, Siri rose a brow in question. Revan sighed, knowing the look Siri was giving him well from seeing it on Bastila's face. He'd either answer or suffer and he wasn't curious to find out how Siri was going to torture him for information.  
"She's got a nasty cut along her back, treated already. I suppose she's here for emotional support or something like that."

The words were spoken softly, though coldly and Revan knew Siri was hiding something, likely the reason for her own presence.

"They'll live."  
Revan muttered, spotting Bant and moving into the room with Aayla at his side. Aayla nodded to Siri as she passed, Siri distractedly returning the nod as she turned her attention back to Obi-Wan.

"Need a hand with anything? I'm not exactly a doctor but I do know a thing or two about first aid."

Bant nodded gratefully to Revan, smiling as best she could with the situation.

"Thank you."

Revan nodded, glancing at Aayla. Aayla nodded as well before she moved to the side of a Clone, readjusting him to a more comfortable position and checking his bandages before moving to another, and another and another...

AN: Happy Freaking Birthday Bjrn. I hope all you guys out there liked this chapter... It was fun to write but I had some doubts as to where I'm going... but like most of my stories it'll likely not get cluttered till the last chapter... if there's a last chapter!


	9. Chapter 8: Generals

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 8: Generals

Recovering fairly quickly thanks to the miraculous effects of bacta and a Force-sensitive's natural increased healing abilities, Obi-Wan Kenobi sat at the ledge of a window in the Jedi Temple, overlooking the Senate building in the distance. Anakin was escorting Padme Amidala back to Naboo and secretly having a wedding that the Jedi Master and none outside of the former slave and the former Queen knew of. The Jedi Temple had been silent as funerals for the fallen Knights, Masters and Padawans were held and the Separatists were in retreat, not yet ready to form a response to the loss of Geonosis. Glancing wearily at Mace Windu and Yoda, Obi-Wan relayed his own thoughts over the matter, chastised slightly by Yoda over his wordings of their _victory_ at Geonosis. Victory had come at a high cost and adjusting himself slightly as his still-healing wounds pained him, Obi-Wan relayed Anakin's whereabouts to Mace before a frown marred the Jedi Knight's bearded face.

"I am curious as to what the Order's place will be in the coming war... There are not nearly enough Jedi to fight this battle... we saw that in the arena..."

What went unsaid was the display of power by Revan. If the younger human chose to fight on the side of the Republic as he once had four millennia ago, he would no doubt prove to be an incredibly valuable asset and likely a gigantic target for the Separatists to shoot at.

"Should the Senate call on us for aid... the Jedi will continue the fight as long as we are able..."

Mace Windu's stern voice held certainty but also resignation. While the Korun Jedi Master was a powerful warrior, he yearned for peace and mourned its death, as well as the deaths of so many of his Jedi brethren.

"Id the Jedi are drawn into this conflict at the Senate's bidding, we will likely be given ranks of command over the Clones... I daresay it would make things a lot simpler though the Clones seem loyal..."

Yoda's ears drooped slightly as he turned a weary look to Obi-Wan's statement.

"Work in teams the Jedi should. Dangerous, powerful in darkness Dooku has become. Alone I sense he is not and cautious the Jedi in the field must be."

The two human Jedi with the tiny green alien nodded their agreement and Obi-Wan stood with a sigh, pulling a cane from where it rested against the windowsill and limped away. Yoda watched Obi-Wan's departure before turning to Mace.

"Paired with Aayla Secure, Master Fay will be. Apparent, Revan's intentions will become with time... Send him as well with young Aayla and Master Fay we will... should the call come."

Mace's surprise was clear but the dark-skinned Jedi nodded his agreement. If the call came they had just likely forced Revan's intervention.

"What of the others?"

Yoda's lips pressed together in a small frown, contemplating the Jedi who would fight best together.

"Heal, Obi-Wan must but paired with his Padawan he will remain, once healed they are. Station together Master Gallia and her former Padawan, Knight Tachi and her student young Ferus. Master Mundi, send with Daakman Barrek, Sha'a Gi and Shaak Ti... Work well, Master Fisto would alone but send Master Koon with him, we will..."

The list of names went on for some time as the two leaders of the Jedi Council prepared for the war, forming battle groups of Jedi and deciding where their own places would be in the ranks. The war would come to the Order, of this, the Masters were certain. It was so strange how quickly the situation of the galaxy had declined, a millennium old Republic falling apart to civil war and the return of the Sith Order, thought dead for as long as the Republic stood. Times had grown troubling and throughout the night, as the Senate oversaw the deployment of its new Grand Army of the Republic, the Jedi Council met and passed along its suggestions for Jedi battle groups, not used since the days of the Jedi Lord Hoth and the Army of Light.

Revan Bloodraven, formerly Darth Revan stood in a training room of the Jedi temple; clean, well-rested and dressed in his infamous armored battle robes. Across from the former Sith Lord stood a scantily dressed, blue-skinned Twi'lek, her hands moving in a simple Jedi martial arts kata to begin her warm up for the coming spar. Orders had been passed down for her to team up with a Jedi Master, the elf-like Master Fay and the Twi'lek was calming herself while Revan, having nothing better to do decided to join her. He still hadn't heard his own _orders _from the Council and would have likely made himself scarce if he had known he was following their intentions.

"I'm concerned my former Master Vos was not paired with me but I do not doubt the Council's wisdom and Master Fay is a powerful Jedi."

Revan gave a sarcastic snort at Aayla's words, drawing a curious look from the young Twi'lek.

"Oh I highly doubt the Council's wisdom. In fact I make it my personal business to let the Council know exactly how much doubt I hold towards the collective incompetence of twelve like-minded old fools."

Aayla stared blankly at Revan's attempt at a cutting joke on the Council's expense, her eyes moving behind the armored former Sith's form and to the white and brown-clad Jedi Master that had entered upon the scene. Instead of chastising Revan or even ignoring the comment, Jedi Master Fay laughed, her laughter almost musical. Revan turned slowly, raising a brow beneath his mask as he took in the sight of the beautiful, elf-like Jedi Master. Her hair was a golden blonde and her eyes were almost impossibly blue. Cherub-like features mixed with what Revan's mind termed an angular yet soft beauty accentuated the woman's face and the former Dark Lord was struck speechless for a moment. She looked extremely familiar but he couldn't place from where.

"I see the rumors of your disdain for the Council were true. My grandmother used to tell me tales of the great General Revan and I had to hear it for myself..."

The ears were pointed and Revan made the connection right away. She reminded him of Aleco Stusea, a Jedi Master he had killed as Dark Lord of the Sith. The last Jedi Master in fact.

"You have me at a disadvantage."  
Revan stated, troubled by what he sensed from the woman. She looked young, no older than Aayla but through the Force he could sense an old soul and her eyes, they seemed to look right through him. She was also extremely powerful.

"Fay."

The Jedi Master held out her hand in an archaic Mandalorian greeting and Revan grasped the woman's forearm, offering a simple shake before releasing and clearing his throat.  
"Right... Fay. Any relation to Aleco Stusea?"

Revan asked, troubled by the thought. To his relief Fay shook her head and answered, her smile fading slightly.

"No, no relation... though my grandmother was good friends with her sister."

Feeling left out, Aayla continued her warm up while absently listening to the two. Revan's reaction to Fay was fairly common amongst the men that saw her but she sensed no outward lust from Revan as other men had, only a morbid curiosity and slight admiration. Obviously the man held the woman of which he had spoken outside of the Senate building in high regard. Enough so to ignore the ethereal beauty of even Master Fay.

"You're strong... How is your connection?"

Revan asked, studying the powerful and centuries old aura of Fay. The elven-like Jedi smiled, tilting her head slightly as she glanced at Revan's lightsaber, hanging from his belt.

"Strong enough for me to no longer need such crude devices."

The comment was light, though carrying a bit of challenge and Revan pulled his hood back, unbuckling his mask and tossing it aside. Fay carried a lightsaber as all Jedi did but through decades of training she had overcome the need to use the weapon of a Jedi, instead relying on the Force to defend herself. Truly something the Jedi of this time had been lacking and that Revan found refreshing. Aleco Stusea had fought in a similar manner, taking him on without her saber and Darth Revan had barely come out of that battle alive.

"Shall we begin?"

Revan asked, inviting Fay to back up her claims. The Jedi Master smiled at the much younger Jedi's confidence and nodded slowly, adopting a very complex Echani fighting from while Revan pulled off his heavy armored robes, settling for the might lighter black robes he wore beneath. The fight was to gauge Fay's strength and skill and his armor held a high resistance to Force powers. Stretching, the former Dark Lord of the Sith worked his way through a simple series of katas to loosen his range of motions before he adopted a Mandalorian hand to hand stance with a mixture of his own unique Sith fighting style. Fay tilted her head to the side, studying Revan's stance before nodding to Revan. Revan focused the Force in his right palm, striking with his left hand in a feign before sending his right fist outward to Fay and opening his hand. The Jedi Master dodged the wave of Force energy, a ripple in the air from where she had been a moment before and she followed through with a similar attack on Revan, probing his fighting style and teasing his senses with a fraction of her abilities.

"Not bad."

Revan commented, dodging in a fairly ridiculous cartwheel and landing in a crouch before using his crouch to spring forth and launch into a set of complex, probing punches and kicks that Fay dodged and blocked expertly.

_"Not bad at all."_

Revan thought, taking an open-palmed strike from the Jedi Master to the chest. Staggering back from the outburst of Force-energy from Fay's strike, Revan adopted a defensive stance, smirking at the elven-like Jedi.

"I see I shouldn't go easy on you..."

Revan commented. Fay smirked slightly, her eyes dancing with excitement and certainty.

"I'd be insulted if you did."

Revan nodded, letting Fay know he wouldn't back down and moved, using the Force to speed up his movements and add strength to his attacks. A flurry of kicks and punches was unleashed which Fay managed to stop, using her own knowledge of the Force while she slowly gathered her strength for her own attack. Grasping an opening in Fay's defense, Revan made to punch, stopping halfway through the motion and grasping Fay's blocking wrist. Twisting, Revan pulled himself under the Jedi's retaliatory strike, twisting to throw Fay off balance. Fay followed Revan's attempts, moving with him and avoiding any injury on her part. A quick, cutting gesture with the flat of her palm against Revan's hand released her and she returned in kind with a powerful Force-push which Revan blocked, following through by attempting to kick his legs out from under him in a roundhouse. Revan sidestepped and leapt slightly, avoiding the attack but was unprepared for yet another, more powerful Force-push that sent him on his back to the floor.

_'Blast!"_

Rolling, Revan twisted, barely catching the surprised expression on Fay's face as he caught her leg, twisted and wrapped his own around hers, locking her into place as he knelt, pulling her leg with him as Fay was forced by the motion onto her stomach. Revan quickly grabbed Fay's arms, pinning one beneath her and the other behind her as he breathed heavily and added just enough pressure on his motion to let Fay know he had won. Fay lifted her face from the training mat, giving a simple nod and Revan released her, offering the Jedi Master a hand as she stood. Both Jedi were covered in a fine sheen of sweat and wore matching smirks.

"Where did you learn that?"

Fay asked, curious of the unfamiliar submission move. Revan shook his wrist slightly, trying to relieve some of the ache Fay's defensive break had cause him and his smirk lost some of its edge.

"Malachor..."

Revan stated simply. Fay's eyes flickered slightly and her smile turned to a slightly concerned frown.

"I suppose it worked then?"

Revan flinched slightly, remembering learning the move from Arren Kae and actually having to use it to fight off Yusanis when the enraged Echani General had physically assaulted him with accusations of murdering his love and hundreds of thousands of his own men. Not to say it wasn't true but he had his reasons.

"Too well..."

The Mandalorian muttered, remembering Yusanis' final moments. The man had died with dignity and honor but the subsequent disappearance of Yusanis' children troubled Revan greatly. He hoped some Echani had taken them in, hidden them from his war and finished their training but he had his doubts.

"How is your Force-form?"

Revan asked, changing the subject. Fay rose a brow slightly but allowed Revan his distraction, holding an open palm outward and waiting. Revan cupped his hand, reaching out and mirroring Fay's stance as he created a Force-barrier, nodding as the Jedi Master sent a powerful burst of Force-energy outward, showing Revan the extent of her powers. Revan held the force at bay but was hard-pressed to not give up his ground. Fay was strong, almost as strong as Malak had been on the Star Forge, likely as strong as Bastila had become afterwards and Revan was surprised any Jedi of the strange future he found himself in were able to wield that much power with the state the Force was in. Fay's cherub features pulled into a small smile. Revan was as powerful as the stories said he was, likely even stronger. Pushing more energy into her attack, Fay noticed the surprise on Revan's face as he was forced back several steps. Focusing on holding Fay's power off, Revan grunted with the strain and his smirk returned.

_"They're not all weaklings after all!"_

It was an honest thought on his part. Compared to the Jedi of his time the Jedi of the future were pathetically reliant on their lightsabers and only their lightsabers. Really, a lightsaber was a fine weapon but it wasn't the _only_ weapon available to a Jedi. Fay had been pushing all of her energy into the attack but had stopped, dropping her attack at the look on Revan's face. An incredulous look crossed the Jedi Master's face as she realized, with a slight chill that Revan had been holding off her attack while his mind had been straying to other places. It seemed the former Sith Lord hadn't even noticed she'd stopped her attack. A slight tilt of his head told Fay that Revan had come to some decision and the Jedi Master lowered her hands, waiting. Revan blinked, as if realizing he'd been lost in thought and cringed mentally. He didn't want to scare the Jedi too much...

_"Well... maybe I do..."_

Sighing, Revan lowered his hand, nodding to Fay before he turned to Aayla Secura. The Twi'lek's face held a hint of Fay's still incredulous look and Revan smiled slightly at the Twi'lek, lowering his saber's intensity and nodding to Aayla.

"I suppose I'm getting lazy. Care for a duel?"

The Twi'lek's features shifted slowly to an unreadable mask and she nodded slowly, casting a quick glance at Fay before Revan activated his saber, opening into a Juyo stance and waiting. Aayla regarded Revan's form carefully, knowing only Master Windu and his former Padawan Depa Billaba had a full understanding of Juyo or, more accurately, its variant form; Vaapad. Her former Master, Quinlan Vos had a small understanding of the form from the instructions of Sora Bulq but only Mace Windu could truly be considered a master of the incomplete lightsaber fighting style. Vaapad, or Juyo as a fighting style required the user to walk a fine line between the lightside aspects of the Force and the darkside aspects, channeling anger and darkness into its attacks. Juyo was, quite simply a form meant to kill and that Revan seemed to favor the dangerous style seemed appropriate to Aayla as the man had been at one point a Sith Lord.

"What say we start off light?"

Revan suggested, eyeing Aayla warily as the Twi'lek changed her saber's setting and shifted into an Ataru stance. Revan briefly glanced at Fay, seeing that the Jedi Master had moved to a side of the training room and was watching their moves closely, her bright blue eyes flickering as she followed each movement. Revan briefly considered starting the attack before Aayla moved, her blue saber meeting his red in a flurry of light and the crackle of energy. Revan smirked slightly to himself as he fended off Aayla's attacks and focused on his weapon, keeping his Juyo form balanced. Aayla's saber briefly pierced his defenses and Revan was forced to dodge the attack to avoid being struck. A slight flare of anger flickered in Revan's eyes but he controlled himself, stowing the anger deeply within for when it would be needed. The image of Taya Kenobi's face and the memory of his vision of Bastila entered the former Sith Lord's mind and he unconsciously allowed the Force to flow through him as he intercepted each of Aayla's strikes effortlessly. Lost in his own thoughts, Revan did not notice the Korun Jedi Councillor that had entered the training room, staring at him with a guarded expression. The darkness Revan kept hidden within had briefly flickered around his aura and Mace Windu frowned deeply as he studied the self-proclaimed Sith Lord from the past. They'd have to watch him closely, despite his actions. The darkside could corrupt anything and that Revan had actually been a Dark Lord of the Sith did not give Mace much faith in the man.

Darth Sidious paced the length of the abandoned factory with his apprentice, Darth Tyrannus at his side. The war had started as he had planned and the plans for the Death Star were now in his possession. The Clones had proven their worth to the Republic and the bounty hunter, Jango Fett was nowhere to be seen. Fett was a loose end but Palpatine knew the Mandalorian would make himself scarce in the neat future, especially if his face was going to be plastered across the galaxy as the model for the Clone troopers. Fett's hand in the origins of the Clones was being kept a guarded secret by the Jedi and Republic in the hopes of stopping an all-out panic, though Palpatine had his own plans for the Clones he needed the Jedi to start trusting them, hence their unshakable loyalty to the Republic, or more importantly the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. Only a few obstacles stood in his way and Palpatine frowned as he thought over the details of Revan's power delivered to him by Dooku.

"This is troubling indeed my apprentice... Was General Grievous able to escape Geonosis undetected?"

Dooku nodded to Palpatine, his face bearing a troubled frown.

"Yes, he managed to subdue the Jedi attacking him and was able to escape detection. Surprise is still an option for him if the Jedi do take up arms."  
Sidious sneered.

"They will... I am more concerned with Darth Revan. The tales of him handed down by our predecessors are... awed and I fear if we do not find some control... he may be the end of us."

Dooku's forehead creased in a troubled furrow while Sidious searched the tainted darkness of the Force, seeking an answer. An image of a black crystal, dark as the cloud blinding the Jedi from the Force entered his mind and Sidious tilted his head slightly, following the teasing hint the Force had given him.

"He has nothing in this time to hold to... no one we can use as leverage but- but perhaps the device used to bring him here would hold some appeal..."

The vision of Bastila Revan had received was lost to Sidious but he could sense the yearning of the younger human, the need for him to return to his own time. Sidious knew if he found the device that had sent Revan to his time, perhaps he would have a more reliable Jedi-killer than Grievous or even Dooku. A vicious smirk played on Sidious' face as he sensed the darkness welcoming his plan and he turned to Dooku.

"After you rally the Separatists on Rhen Var, proceed to Korriban and follow the Force to where it leads you... seek out a black crystal and bring it to me."

Dooku bowed deeply.

"Of course, my Master."

Sidious was silent for some time, his hand closed tightly around the cool holocron of the Death Star's plan.

"Leave me."

Dooku bowed again, returning to his transport and the Geonosian craft rose steadily from Coruscant, vanishing in the sky while Sidious thought over the possibilities. He'd been able to sense Revan training with the Jedi, teaching the Jedi secrets they had no right to know anymore and he knew he had to act fast before a meddlesome Kenobi or that fool Skywalker actually learned something and became a legitimate threat. Tracing the flickering tendrils of the Force surrounding Revan, Palpatine smiled, his white teeth flashing in the dusk light of Coruscant. Revan seemed a cloud of gray in his mind but that could easily be changed. Soon he would hold sway over the powerful Force-user and he had only to plan for his victory. No doubt the Jedi would help Revan along the dark path once more, it was simply what their narrowminded dogma did to any who weren't completely and firmly entrenched in their waning light.

"Oh so you've condescended to talk to me now. How fortunate I am."

The voice was bright, cheery and delighted as Revan stood before the twelve High Jedi Council seats, his smirk wavering slightly at the empty seat of Coleman Trebor, the Vurk Jedi Master gunned down by Jango Fett during his escape from Geonosis. It was a glaring reminder of the price the Jedi Order had paid for stepping in for the Republic. Revan drew himself to a tall, proud stance, spreading his legs apart about shoulder length as he clasped his hands together at the small of his back. His armor and mask disguised his discomfort and solid shields kept any intrusion from the Council out. Revan could sense eleven minds bearing down on him heavily and withstood the combined strength of the Masters, his wavered smirk turning to an outright sneer.

"If you're going to invade my mind I warn you, I consider it an act of aggression."

None of the Masters spoke though Revan could tell he'd made a few extremely angry. The Masters said nothing, probing Revan and seeing nothing. They had seen something similar with Anakin Skywalker a decade before and had denied his training simply due to the danger the darkness represented and that Revan outright refused to give them a blood sample to measure his midichlorian count and his complete and total disrespect for their positions had not held much sway on their minds. The testimonies of Aayla Secura and Obi-Wan Kenobi as to the man's character were weighed thoughtfully by most Masters but a few wanted nothing to do with Revan.

"You were once Darth Revan, scourge of the Republic."

Revan smiled at the title. It sounded like the Jedi had finally dusted off their datapads.

"One of many names."  
Revan stated simply. If the Council was going to be as long-winded and vague as the ones he had dealt with in his time, so would he. Treat others the way you wish to be treated, weight consequences of all actions and just because something seems right doesn't mean it always is. The lessons of Master Kreia still echoed in Revan's mind and he took them to heart. His Master was a very wise, thought sometimes annoying woman and he respected her greatly.

"Your... actions on Geonosis are to be commended..."

Ki-Adi-Mundi stated neutrally. Revan recognized the Master as one he had threatened slightly in the archives and nodded neutrally to the man. The glare a withered old Thisspiasian was giving him beneath a slightly caved-in face hidden beneath a white beard and hair was grating on Revan's nerves and the Dark Lord turned his mask to face the gnarled alien, returning the glare in kind.   
"It should be no surprise to you the Republic has passed the military creation act and the Clones are now a member of the Grand Army of the Republic Chancellor Palpatine was so wary to create."

Revan turned his glare from Jedi Master Oppo Rancisis and rested them on the dark-skinned Corellian Master Adi Gallia. From what he could recall of the hundreds of questions he had asked of the battle, this one had been leading the Jedi Fighters in the orbital battle with the blonde Jedi Siri Tachi and the Mon Calamari, Bant. Revan held the Master's blue gaze, finding the eyes searching the his aura that was carefully shielded.   
"I actually am surprised at his, anyone's wariness of creating an army of the Republic. Honestly if I had a single Legion of Mandalorians, a handful of battle cruisers and a dozen Basilisks I could have overrun the Republic with ease. What I saw on Geonosis was a _member_ world of the Republic, one that went rogue wielding more firepower than the Republic has had for centuries... That is a reckless thing."

A hiss from Oppo Rancisis brought Revan's gaze back to the Thisspiasian and Revan held his ground.

"And what, may I ask would you have done? Enslaved worlds with militaries? Burned those that refused to follow you?"

Mace Windu pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes; but made no motion to silence the aging Jedi Master. Several sharp glares and looks from most of the other Masters stopped Oppo and Revan remained silent, measuring his words.

"Whatever works..."

Revan stated, drawing a look of utter disgust from the Jedi.

"To the matter of these Clones..."

Revan began, only to be cut off by Eeth Koth.

"Your state of mind is the matter before this Council, not the Clones."

The Zabrak's words were neutral though they carried a hint of a threat and Revan turned to face the Master, his masked features causing the Iridonian to shift slightly in his seat.

"My position is clear. I am bored, you've given me something to kill. While I have attacked some of your pawns I never permanently damaged or killed any of them. As you saw on Geonosis, my powers are far more attuned then your own."

Oppo Rancisis raised a hand to Revan, letting out a strong Force-stun attack.

"I don't think so."

The Master hissed. Revan felt his consciousness wane slightly but knew the attack was a probe to his abilities, not an outright attack. Foolish of the Master to probe him with such an invasive attack. Revan raised a hand, ignoring the dullness of his senses and returned a much more powerful Force-stun attack in kind. Oppo slumped in his chair, unconscious and Revan channeled off the rest of the attack, clearing his senses as the ten conscious Jedi Masters around him stiffened.

"If you're here to attack me I'm going to tell you now that you're going to get back more than you throw at me. I know many, many techniques in the Force... Aspects Dark and Light I hold a mastery of. Try something so foolish again against me and I will not be so kind. I am not your pawn, I am not one of your subjects and you cannot judge me in the same light you judge your slaves."

Most of the Masters looked extremely offended while Shaak Ti, a Togruta Jedi Master tried to calm Revan.

"Please, I am certain Master Rancisis was only probing your abilities, not attacking you."

Beneath his mask, Revan's face shifted to an expectant, slightly incredulous look and his stance showed his disbelief as his hands moved to cross over his chest.

"Right."

Revan stated simply.

"I am telling you this for your own good, Master Jedi of this Council. Do not trust this Clone army. It was trained and built from the bounty hunter Jango Fett, a Mandalorian with a grudge against the Jedi... I might also mention he said he was hired by a man named Tyrannus and if that name doesn't say Sith Lord, well... what does? I understand the Sith of this time take names as titles to their actions... Traya did something similar in my time."

The Jedi in front of Revan nodded and Revan returned his arms behind his back.

"I suppose he was labeled for his betrayal of the Republic?"

Mace Windu dead panned. Revan felt the hard stare of the Korun Jedi Master and to his surprise felt a slight bit of intimidation. The man was strong and his aura and look hinted at a warrior and the warrior within Revan was both amused and intimidated by this man. Had the man not been such a hardliner Revan may have actually respected him but the thing about Revan that was fairly common knowledge was that he held no respect for any Jedi Councillor of any time. Those who made decisions and did not lead by example had always disgusted Revan and the Jedi High Council was a fine example of that. Perhaps he respected Kavar and perhaps he had befriended Atris, maybe even remotely enjoyed the presence of his once Masters Zhar and Dorak; but the Mandalorian Wars had dramatically changed his views of his once teachers and comrades. The cowards.

"She, actually."

Revan muttered, barely audible as if an afterthought more than a statement. Mace's brow rose slightly but he leaned back in his chair, confident that the man would not attack unless threatened directly. Revan gave insults as well as he took them and Mace knew from experience that the man before him was smart enough, strong enough and perhaps even deceitful enough to be a massive threat. This was a man who had brought the Republic and Jedi Order to its knees in a few short years through charisma alone. Military might and power were there but Revan's true talent lay in his ability to make others believe what he believed and if he began making other Jedi doubt the Council... Mace shuddered slightly at the thought of dozens of Dark Jedi and closed his eyes against the vision.

"To the point, this Council must come."

Yoda spoke for the first time, his brow lined heavily with sorrow of the fallen Jedi, his fallen Padawan and the war. Revan, out of respect for the missing Master, though he would have denied it vehemently, closed his mouth and waited. He wasn't some loud-mouthed imbecile, just sarcastic and abrasive. At least he thought so, others might disagree but he had some respect for fallen warriors.

"I agree."

Mace Windu stated gravely. The eight other conscious members of the Council consented while Oppo slept on in his unnatural sleep.

"We received a request from Chancellor Palpatine. The Senate has convened and officially declared war on the Separatists. Due to the nature and origins of the Clones it has been decided by the Republic that the Jedi are to be placed in temporary command of the Clone Legions. The Kaminoans have assured the Senate that the Clones are one hundred percent loyal to the Republic... we sensed no lie when we spoke with them..."

Revan rose a brow slightly. It seemed the wheels were turning faster in this Republic, it would have taken the Republic he remembered a bloody week to accomplish anything. Still, it was foolish to believe everything would just fall into your laps.

"And I suppose the Jedi have, in the SIX days since this war began managed to inspect and verify the Kaminoans statements and their cloning operations?"

Silence and mostly angry glares answered Revan and he sighed to himself, keeping his composure. Adi Gallia decided to speak up after the silence that had fallen over the Council. Revan's words were spoken as if to a half-wit and his mannerism was ridiculously disrespectful. Still, they were about to ask something of him and most of the Council members were restraining themselves quite well, with the exception of the still unconscious Oppo Rancisis.

"The Jedi have accepted the offer unanimously of the Senate's proposal to reinstate the Jedi Generals. The experienced Masters will carry the rank of General while their underlings will carry Commander ranks. After reviewing the layout of the Republic's Grand Army we've divided the Jedi Generals and Commanders as we saw fit. General Fay will work alongside Commander Secura... we were hoping you would accept a Commander's station and-"

Revan cut Adi's neutral and calm statement off.

"And you hoped I'd roll over and sit for you like a good, trained Kath Hound?"

Adi rose a brow at Revan's acidic tone but decided to be flat-out honest.

"It would be nice to have your experience in the field, where it may do some good."

In his mind Revan knew he could already orchestrate war on a galactic scale and he knew the Jedi around him were aware of that fact as well. Silent for some time, Revan shook his head.

"I refuse. I will accompany General Fay and Commander Secura but only as an advisor. I refuse to take rank amongst what could very well become my enemies one day."

Mace Windu rose a brow at that, reading the logic and wisdom in the statement and slightly amused at Revan's ability to make an intelligent, professional argument sound scathing and threatening.   
"Think on this matter, the Council will. Until then, quarters we will have prepared for you, Darth Revan."

Yoda's use of Revan's Sith title was purposely thrown in but Revan made no motion, no tell in his reaction to the title as he turned on his heel and left, waiting outside the Council chambers while a Padawan was summoned to take him to his assigned and likely heavily monitored quarters. Behind soundproof doors, the Jedi Council, Master Oppo finally coming to discussed late into the night the events engulfing their galaxy while only a few short kilometers away the Dark Lord of the Sith plotted his own machinations.


	10. Chapter 9: Shadows in the Waning Light

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: Its been a while, but I finally figured out a path in which to send this story... mostly. Sorry for ther delay, hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 9: Shadows in the Waning Light

General Fay of the Grand Army of the Republic sighed, pushing aside a datapad of the civilian casualty figures from what was being called the Battle of Atraken. A group of Separatists extremists had refused to turn over the mines of the world and the Republic's Operation Katabatic was failing miserably. Over ninety percent of the civilians on the world were dead and the bio-weapon the Separatists had unleashed was having an equally devastating effect on the Republic ground forces on the planet.

"Is there nothing that can be done...?"  
Fay asked the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. Yoda shook his head sadly, his ears drooping slightly as the weight of the deaths on Atraken weighed down on his tiny shoulders.  
"Quarantined, the world will be, blockade you must enforce. Isolated this bio-weapon must remain..."  
Yoda's eyes were dull with pain, grief over the loss of over nine hundred thousand innocent civilians and the blue hologram flickered before dying, leaving the room Fay stood in shrouded in darkness as the room's lighting adjusted and Revan's black-clad form became visible beside the sephi, elven-like Jedi Master. Revan's features were grim, though a flicker of irritation burned in his brown eyes as he uncrossed his arms from across his chest to let them rest on his hips as he began pacing back and forth.

"We've denied the Separatists the resources of Atraken, and we've swayed sympathies within the Republic in our favor. It is a harsh thing to say... but this can be used to our advantage. The Republic of my time often used news broadcasts as propaganda. The best of the propaganda was what was based in truth... We can use this incident to gain support against the Separatists, perhaps even sew the seeds of doubt in the minds of their people and leaders. Nearly one million people died down there because of a bio-weapon the Separatists created and unleashed. The simple fact that they have such weapons can be used to galvanize the Republic into action, into spending more on a defensive and offensive starfleet and even recruiting soldiers. I don't like the idea of using clones in a war for any extended period of time. They are loyal, but not to us, they are loyal to the Supreme Chancellor or whoever acts as the voice of the Senate. That can become a very big problem, if we don't have non-clone soldiers working alongside us."  
Nearly ten months had passed since the outbreak of the war and Revan was fairly certain there was a strategy being worked out behind the scenes that favored neither the Republic, nor the Separatists. Checking the historical records as well as recent political and diplomatic incidents, Revan could find no outside threats to the Republic that would have the proper resources to influence the war on such a massive scale. By simple process of elimination the Sith were the likely culprit and Revan crossed his arms over his chest once more, rubbing his beard thoughtfully as he stared across the blank holo to Fay as she stared at him with a frown, a flicker of nausea in her slightly less bright blue eyes. Aayla Secure stood stiffly at the end of the room, beside the doorway, her lips turned down into a frown as her hazel eyes stared at Revan in uncertainty.

"Y- you want to use th- the murder of those people down there as propaganda? We should leave them in peace. They've suffered enough, Revan... W- we can't ask the survivors to- to speak out against what was done to them, we don't have the right!"  
Revan's features remained thoughtful, a complete and total separation from the victims apparent as he responded to Fay's horrified statement, his voice sounding almost eager.

"This war is unpopular within the Republic. Many want the option of secession to remain in the hands of their world's governments and rightly so. The problem is the corruption of those leaders. The Separatists have been preaching to the Republic eloquent cries of freedom of choice and democracy when they've established nothing more than a militant body of dictators. Their armies are replaceable, merely a set number of credits. The same can be said of the clone armies the Republic is using. The ones who pay the price for this war, the ones weakened are the Jedi, not the clones or the droids or the Separatists or the Republic. Their resources, their soldiers are expendable and can be replaced while the Jedi are suffering greatly from the loss of two hundred nearly a year ago on Geonosis. How many hours did it take for the droid army on that world to tear apart two-hundred lifetimes of training in each of those Jedi felled? A mere five years is required to grow, train and equip the Clones while it takes Jedi five times as long and we don't have the luxury of ordering a new batch of Knights to replace the ones we've lost. The only purpose I see in this war, from my perspective, is to weaken the Jedi Order. You've scarcely six-thousand battle-able Jedi to fight this war and only a scarce dozen will be ready within the next five years. If the Sith are behind this war, as most of us suspect, all they have to do is wait until the Jedi are killed off by the Separatists to obtain dominance in the Force."  
No one wanted to believe Revan's argument, but it was painfully obvious that outside forces were working with the Separatists. Count Dooku himself claimed to be a Sith Lord and while Revan was unimpressed of the aged former Jedi, he knew the subtleties of war well enough to know someone was orchestrating this conflict.

"We cannot rely on the clones. Regardless of how able they are, or how available, we cannot trust them, nor should you trust the Jedi you fight alongside. Dooku was once a Jedi Master, a member of the High Council and I used to say to my followers that the best Sith were usually former Jedi. War can turn you to do... terrible things and I used the Mandalorian War and the Jedi Civil War of my time to train and recruit new Dark Jedi by stealing them from the Jedi's ranks. What greater weapon is there than to turn an enemy to your cause? To turn their own knowledge against them? By wary, or you will share the fate of those on that world. We should use this to spur action within the Republic, to make people _want_ to fight this war. Down there in the corpses of a million innocents is the face of the enemy, down there is the reason they should put aside peace and take up their blades to fight. Peace and Justice comes with a price and thus far, the price is being paid in Jedi blood and the blood of the innocents. Give the victims a face, give them a voice and _use_ it. Do that, or the deaths of those on this world will remain meaningless."  
Fay rose a brow, her expression still pained, though a flicker of respect showed through her pixie-like features. Pressing her lips together slowly, Fay nodded reluctantly to the wisdom of Revan's argument. She would still be wandering the edge of the galaxy if she had not sensed the presence of Revan and she had returned to the Order after her centuries-long self-imposed exile to offer what help she could. She could see the wisdom in Revan's words, even the charisma that had made him an Emperor by the time he was only twenty-four and she knew that while her heart protested using the deaths of those on the world beneath them, it would serve a greater purpose to make those deaths meaningful. She also knew the Republic would have brushed aside the deaths, afraid they would increase the resistance to the war by depicting the deaths as a result of the clone and Jedi's intervention. They had to act quickly if they were to turn the public opinion in their favor.

"Revan is right, loathe as I am to say this or go along with it. Those deaths will be hidden or used against us unless we take action now. I doubt I would have seen this had he not said what I was afraid to, my thanks, Revan, for your wise words."

The Twi'lek Jedi bowed her head in respect to Revan, her eyes glimmering slightly with tears as she watched the young man. He wasn't even thirty years old and he'd already done so much, seen so much and here he would take the moral fallout of the atrocity on the world below them, he would carry the burden of guilt for the Jedi who refused to look past the tragedy to mold it in their favor. A chill passed through the young Twi'lek's spine as she realized that this was not the first time Revan had used such a strategy and she stared at him in mute horror, unable to comprehend the desperation it must have taken to turn to such heartless tactics.  
"The Mandalorians were winning. We had to... turn civilian losses to military victories and by the grace of whatever deity watches over this galaxy, it worked. We- I, used the deaths of billions of innocent civilians to galvanize the Republic into action, to unleash its fully capacity against the Mandalorian invaders. I destroyed my own kind by making the Republic soldiers into raving madmen, bent on revenge. It was the only way to win though... and those who were responsible died on Malachor V. I made sure of it."  
Fay and Aayla stared at Revan silently, their features troubled as they studied the man before them. While he was not a total slave to the darkside, he had been a Dark Lord of the Sith, a mass murderer and a tyrant, and those were generous terms. Revan was the harbinger of death to the Mandalorian people and billions, hundreds of billions of others through his betrayals. His first betrayal to help the Republic survive against the Mandalorians and his second to avenge his people and make the whole of the galaxy stronger through his actions. In the end, he was nothing more than a puppet, a reprogrammed droid set out as a pawn to murder his best friend, his brother. Revan closed his eyes as he thought back on Malak, looking upon the death of his friend, his apprentice, through the eyes he was meant to have. The puppet, the Jedi's programmed identity had killed Malak to safeguard Bastila and while he shared the man's affection for the young woman, Revan could not forgive himself for Malak. It was his darkest moment, the most heinous of his betrayals. He had created Malak from a once-good man. Malak had been a brother, a loyal and loved part of him, family in every sense but blood and Revan had maimed and murdered him, the Jedi had merely been the judge, Revan had been the executioner and then the bastards had celebrated their victory, celebrated Malak's death.

A wave of darkness settled over the room as Revan turned on his heel and stalked away, leaving Fay and Aayla to stare at his retreating form in shock. The potency of the darkness, the hatred within Revan was beyond anything they could understand and neither knew what to do. Fay and Aayla's eyes met, both Jedi looking troubled as they struggled to maintain their own control. Revan's emotions, his thoughts were chaotic, primal and powerful and his unnatural presence within the Force, so strong in comparison to their own, so different as it held to the dying balance with an unyielding grasp forged in ancient and long-forgotten halls gave the two a glimpse of his hatred for the Jedi of his time. A frightening thing that gave them pause.

"He is becoming unstable..."  
Aayla said uncomfortably, her eyes seeking the Jedi Master's for guidance. Fay, having lived for centuries but never having met a Sith in person could only nod her agreement. Revan was dangerous, unstable and the darkness he once wielded as Master and Lord of the Sith remained, ever ready to answer the call of its powerful servant. The darkness bode its time, waiting for the opportunity to overwhelm Revan and force him to fall beneath its weight. The two Jedi's eyes met, a firm resolve passing between them in silence. They would be there to catch him if he slipped.

"I will send word to the Council of Revan's plan, it will be... difficult to convince them but I see it is necessary if this war is to amount to anything other than the death of the Jedi Order."  
Fay's words were slow, but sure, steadily growing stronger as she pushed aside her concern for Revan and for looking conscientious. People died in war, innocents suffered. Theirs were the faces that the galaxy needed to see to remind them of who was paying the price and if the Jedi Order was to survive the Clone Wars, they needed to show that they suffered with those innocents, that they would fight to protect them for as long as it took, until the last of them fell and became one with the Force.

Darth Sidious stalked angrily through the secret depths of an abandoned industrial complex deep within Coruscant's industrial sector and cursed the foolishness of his minions. The Jedi had found a way of pinning the blame of those killed on Atraken on the Separatists and it was working against his strategy. Instead of striking fear into the heart of the Republic and dividing them, the sight of the Jedi helping the survivors of Atraken relocate and giving them a voice, one that spoke in grateful tones to the Jedi had turned public opinion. The Republic was uniting against the Separatists and many Separatists civilians and defectors were approaching the Republic for sanctuary from their leaders. Fear was a powerful motivator as was anger and Palpatine cursed as he realized he had underestimated the Jedi Commander of the Clones on Atraken. Any normal Jedi puppet would have seen the potential spreading of hatred and anger as a negative thing, but Revan, _Revan_ had turned General Fay's opinion through his vaunted words, a speech of sacrifices and justice leaving the lips of the beautiful sephi Jedi General and giving credit to the Jedi for their compassion.

"What is thy bidding, my Master?"  
The blue form of Darth Tyrannus appeared before Sidious and the Master sneered in disgust at his apprentice.

"Find the most expendable of the Separatists leaders, place the blame of the bio-weapon upon him and launch an assault on his position of power. I want him dead and news of his death on the holonet before this evening. Someone is helping the Jedi do more than merely fight battles."  
Dooku bowed his head, acknowledging his Master in a tone bordering on groveling before he stood, brushing off his expensive clothing and sighing in disgust. The Jedi were not supposed to fight a media war, it was not their style. Sidious had obviously underestimated the Jedi's ingenuity as had he. Spending a good portion of his lifetime in the presence of the Jedi had made Dooku believe they were incapable of adapting to the demands of war and he frowned thoughtfully as he thought of the Jedi's rather unorthodox response to the plight on Atraken. Unimaginative and stubborn old Masters would not think to use the deaths as a political weapon, Knights would not have the heart and the youth of the Order would be too inexperienced to realize how far even the most subtle of influence spread when it was rooted in fear and anger. Whoever was aiding the Republic forces on Atraken thought like a Sith, or in the very least like a politician and in an unpopular war between enemies without importance or faces or even names, someone had trumped Sidious' bluff and Tyrannus smirked slightly as he thought of his Master making a mistake. Mistakes were a sign of weakness and unbecoming of a Dark Lord of the Sith.

Sidious stared at the communicator before him in disgust, well aware of the depth of his apprentice's loyalty. Turning, Sidious took a moment to stare at the obsidian crystal recovered from Korriban by his apprentice and he crossed his arms, staring into the unnatural black, seeing a mirror of his own soul. Recalling one of the passages inscribed in the ancient Sith texts, Sidious set his mind about the task of finding a suitable replacement for Dooku. There were several potential apprentices, one that Dooku himself was training, but Sidious pushed aside the thoughts for the time being, shedding the image of Darth Sidious for the guise of Chancellor Palpatine. A half-amused smile crossed the Dark Lord of the Sith's face as he mused to himself over the passage Darth Revan's own Jedi Master had once taught amongst the Sith.

_"To be united by hatred, is a fragile alliance at best."_

Revan paced back and forth in his quarters, his mind playing over two separate identities. One was screaming at him, telling him to kill the Jedi, kill them all and go back to his own time, take what he could of value and return to what mattered. The lack of historical records of his time period did not bode well and Revan paused in his pacing as he brought his mind back from its dark place, listening to the steady, calm and unnatural tone of the second voice, telling him to trust in the Force, to trust in the Jedi. A twitch of a sneer touched Revan's lips as he brushed aside the _pawn_ as he called it. The identity forced upon him by the Jedi Council of his time. A mindwipe that was unnecessary and had turned him into a shadow of his former self, a completely separate person. For a time, he- the pawn had feared embracing who he was, feared the darkness, but Revan was nothing if not relentless and he regained his body and his identity, forever effected by the damage the Jedi had done to his mind.

In the darkest corners of his mind, Revan had cheered on whatever Sith had destroyed Katarr, his only regret the annihilation of the world and its Miralukan inhabitants in the process. Hatred, so potent it burned his veins surged through Revan and he clenched his hands in tight fists, the black leather of his gloves creaking as they stretched. The Jedi had violated his mind, violated his identity and created a slave. The thought of slavery had always turned Revan's stomach, the Mandalorian within him had seen it as a weakness to rely on others to do the work, the unpleasant simply because you didn't want to. The strong dominate and the weak perish, there was no middle ground in his mind and Revan had pushed that theory, brought about a new Order to the galaxy that had lasted in some form or another for four thousand years. Longer than he had thought it would.

The only reason he had not killed every single Jedi he saw was because they were not the ones responsible for what was done to him, they were almost a completely different Order of Jedi and Revan wondered briefly when the practice of a student only having one Master was started. He'd had close to a dozen himself and most Jedi spent their time training with a separate Master for each of their Force-forms or combat abilities to add a variety to their lives. Revan found the changes in the time he was in so vastly different that it lacked any logic. The Force was almost an alien power it was so altered and the lack of preparation by most of the galaxy's sentients for the war they found themselves in galled Revan. Billions of soldiers and tens of thousands of capitol ships had made up the Republic fleet of his time and yet this version of the Republic didn't even have a military, instead it used a few paltry million clones and armed troop carriers as warships. Somewhere in history, the galaxy had been so inexplicably changed that Revan found himself thinking the time he was in was primitive by comparison to his own.

Four thousand years had passed yet no significant upgrades had been made to weapons or shield technology, if he were to be honest, personal shielding seemed to vanish all together to be replaced by substandard armor that was little more than plasteel plates designed to stop shrapnel and not blasterbolts. Cortosis he had yet to see any evidence of and even Mandalorian metal was in short supply. Pushing back his unease, the former Sith Lord stopped his pacing, letting out a heavy sigh as he glanced towards his armor, the blood red armor glinting dully in the dim light of his quarters. The ships were bigger, as were their compliments, but Revan saw a pattern within the Republic in the year since his arrival. They'd forgotten how to fight war, how to defend themselves. It was almost as if the galaxy had been remade into some flawed utopia that was policed by the Jedi and governed by the Republic Senate. Something had happened that was so destructive to the galaxy that most of the knowledge of the past was lost. Revan had read what had happened to Manaan, read how the Rakatan system, now named Lehon had been wiped clean of sentient life and he dwelled grimly on the worries that kept him awake at night. The worries that the True Sith had been able to destroy the Republic and whatever Republic he was in now power was nothing but an echo of its former might, a shadow of a much grander design that had long since been forgotten or lost.

It did not bode well for the future he had to look forward to in three years, when he would return to Korriban to confront the Exile. The thought of an unfulfilled reality, of being trapped in the distant future instead of his own time, away from the events and times he knew brought a bit of a cultural shock to Revan. He'd spent most of the Clone Wars adjusting to the small scale of the war, the idea of the Clone War being an actual war and not some border conflict or a skirmish hard for his mind to fathom as he was used to commanding fleets and soldiers in numbers thousands of times greater than was available to the Republic and Jedi of the time he was trapped within.

Trapped, that was what it felt like. Crossing his arms again, Revan renewed his route through his quarters, marching back and forth, back and forth, a furious clash of two voices within his split mind trying to find a semblance of reason, of sanity and structure within the time and finding only doubts and uncertainty. Fear for Bastila, for Canderous and Mission and his other friends ravaged Revan's strained thoughts, bringing more doubts to the front of his mind as he questioned his friendship with Fay and Aayla. He respected both women as he did any of his other friends but they still felt like strangers, still were wary of him when he touched the darkness within to regain his balance. They were jailors, nothing more. His keepers in a time in which he was nothing more than an unwelcome burden, so very out of his depth that he was nothing but a barbarian to them.

Quite simply, they were from different times and they would never, _never_ understand him. Well, both of him. The pawn was louder these days without the bond with Bastila keeping him silent and months of stress, of worry that the vision he'd had of Bastila was nothing more than a delusion plagued his mind and Revan found himself at a loss for what he needed to do. He could help the Jedi or fight them, it did not matter as it would never effect anything he cared for in his own time. Alderaan could spontaneously explode for all he cared and it would still be there in his own time, safe and prosperous if his vision were correct.

_"Four years, no more, no less."  
_Bastila's soft voice, painfully caressing his memory drew a frustrated growl from Revan. Four years would pass much slower for him than the others. War, a mockery of a galaxy he was familiar with and a Force blind to the future left him as a shadow, a wraith of a forgotten age, bypassed in this time he was trapped in as a relic, a testament to the powers of a Force neither Sith nor Jedi understood anymore.

Jango Fett grunted as he stretched his sore arms, glancing at his son, his clone as the boy followed him through the thick jungles of Dxun. The moon held ancient Mandalorian bases, deserted and abandoned to the jungle for thousands of years and Jango thought back on the teachings he'd passed down to his son and to the Clones. Respect strength, honor yourself through skill in battle and do not hate your enemy. Hate was unbecoming of a Son or Daughter of Mandalore. Ancient teachings passed down from the last great Mandalore to succeed Mandalore the Ultimate, ones that spoke of the Taung teachings to live not only for battle, but for perfection in war, in self, both body and mind. The jungle's wilderness, untamed for thousands of years and never yielding to the onset of progress remained before him, stretching out for thousands of kilometers and Jango breathed in the primal air around him, a subtle smirk crossing his lips as he turned his eyes from his son to the ruins of an ancient Mandalorian base before him. It had taken months to find the decaying ruins, but it remained, standing in the face of the encroaching jungle as a testament to Mandalorian strength.

"Its time to remember what it means to be Mandalorian."  
Jango stated to his son, a vibroblade in his hand cutting through vines as he entered the ancient base Canderous Ordo had used to train his Mandalorian warriors for the battle with the True Sith and the Triumvate of the Lords of Malachor. Ancient murals, depicting the Mandalorian leader's battle with a fallen Jedi covered the ancient ruins and Jango spent many days in quiet contemplation, his hatred of the Jedi Order having blinded him to a more ancient betrayal of the Mandalorians. The betrayal of the Sith of the Mandalorians in Exar Kun's ancient Sith war, the death of the last true Mandalore at the hands of a fallen Dark Jedi. It brought Jango's thoughts to the massacre of his squad, his unit at Dooku's hands when he had been a Jedi Master and the Mandalorian bounty hunter stared at the ancient murals, fighting his hatred of the Jedi to recall Mandalore Ordo's wise words.

_"A Jedi may have killed Mandalore the Ultimate, but it was out alliance with the Sith, with Exar Kun that broke our people, that weakened us enough for the Jedi Revan to defeat us. A thousand glorious battles of the Mandalorian Wars will be remembered for all time, but the blood of the Taung is spent and each year that passes sees fewer Mandalores. Soon we will be only a memory, as the Sith are only a memory, a reflection of a greater past, a greater people. Do not be blinded by your hatred of the Jedi so much so that you forget the Sith's part in our downfall. If you are, it is not the skill of a superior warrior that ends you, but your own weakness of mind."_

Jango Fett brushed his hand along the vines covering the ancient writings and murals, his helm gleaming in the darkness of the ancient fortress as he contemplated what remained of the Mandalorians. He was truly the last of the Mandalorians, their civil war and the Jedi Order's mistake in the Battle of Gallidran having sealed their fate. Soon the Mandalorians would be a mere memory, as the True Sith, those that once flourished on Korriban and Ziost or the Rakatans of Lehon, of the Infinite Empire were simply shadows of time, forgotten races and people who's ways were no longer remembered. He'd tried to pass on the Mandalorian wars to the Clones he trained, taught them the language of the ancient Taung, but he knew in his heart it was inevitable the Mandalorian way would end. It had been dying for over four thousand years and his actions with the Clone Army only delayed its end. The Clones were not fighting a war they had no say in, dying by the tens of thousands for a Republic that never existed in their time, for a Republic that was simply a weak shadow of their former enemy. They were no more Mandalorian than the Senators sealing their fates and Jango's hands closed tightly into fists, his anger at what was becoming of the Mandalorian way of life hiding his concern, his fear of what would become of his son after he fell in battle.

There was no Mandalore, there was no mask and had not been since the Jedi's Exile had taken it four thousand years before and Jango collected himself, struggling with his senses as he realized what needed to be done. The Clones had to be given a choice, had to be given freedom. They were all that remained of the Mandalorians and so long as they were enslaved to the Republic they were a disgrace, un-Mandalorian. Mandalorians decided their own fate through strength and skill and honor, not through blind servitude.  
"Dad?"  
Boba's voice was quiet, his eyes scanning the murals and ancient Mandalorian writings around him before he pushed aside his awe and questioned their presence in the ancient fortress.

"We're going to Kamino to... _talk_ with the Cloners, Boba. It seems I've overlooked something important."  
Jango's brown eyes held a gleam of promise of violence, his visor hiding the look from his son, though Boba could tell by his father's tense stance that he was angry. The _Slave-I_ left the jungle moon of Dxun several hours later, heading to Kamino where the last of the Mandalorians would set about the task of returning the choice to his fellow Mandalorians. The Kamino needed to stop altering their brain chemistry. Loyalty was to be earned and given freely, not programmed.


	11. Chapter 10: Hypori

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: Hypori actually happened 4 months after Geonosis but I decided to stretch the Clone War out a bit as a result of Atraken. Atraken was more of a siege and lasted from shortly after the Battle of Geonosis to ten months after. I decided to have that effect the timeline, changing the Clone wars because of the Jedi's different strategy in regards to the bio-weapon and the strife within the CIS it would have caused.

Chapter 10: Hypori

Hypori. Like many of the other battles in the Clone Wars, had been delayed for months by the internal strife within the CIS but the Republic quickly gave up hope of the brief Confederation of Independent Systems Civil War caused by the news of the bio-weapon on Atraken destabilizing the conflict and moved on the world's droid factories. High General Ki-Adi Mundi worked alongside High General Shaak Ti and Senior General Daakman Barrek. Several other Jedi were present, Aayla Secura amongst them as the Jedi Masters discussed the upcoming battle. They were to drop in fast from orbit with a group of Clone ARC troopers and move in quietly to the droid factory, set charges and pull back. General Fay stood serenely at the end of the room, her hands clasping one another near her abdomen as she listened patiently, her white cloak pulled over her head. She was to provide a distraction with her fleet in the hyperspace lane passing near the system. Glancing over her shoulder, Fay raised a brow silently as she studied Revan, the former Dark Lord clad in his battle robes and leaning against the bulkhead of her fleet's flagship in a casual manner.

_"Something has to be done about that armor."_

Fay thought to herself as she eyed the ancient blood red armor with a slight frown. It wasn't that the armor was inefficient, quite the contrary, it was that the Republic wanted to get their hands on it, wanted to study it for improvements to their own armor designs for the Clones. When they'd asked Revan, he'd given the same response he had to the Jedi about testing his Midichlorians. A blunt _no _followed quickly by a _Hell no_. Revan had been wary of the Republic and the Jedi after the war had broken out and all he'd said to Fay on the matter was that war changed people. Fay took his words at face value, concerned but not wanting to appear threatening to Revan.

The meeting was concluded with Aayla agreeing to go down to the planet with the strike force while Revan and Fay would remain with the fleet, hopefully drawing off the CIS's naval reinforcements and providing enough of a distraction to keep the operations on the world hidden until the last possible moment. Fay turned to Revan, knowing by the tense set of his shoulders that he wanted to say something but had remained silent throughout the meeting. Waiting until the others had left, Fay approached the former Sith Lord, smiling indulgently when he turned his masked features to her, obviously glowering.

"Something you wanted to add, Lord Revan?"  
The title was stated casually, jokingly and Revan's shoulders relaxed slightly, his expression hidden beneath his mask though he was obviously irritated about something.

"This strike on Hypori is to coincide with General Kenobi and Commander Skywalker's assault on Muunilinst, General Windu's defensive on Dantooine and General Fisto's on Mon Calamari. Each of those forces carries a significant number Jedi and Clones and the battle is spread across the galaxy. While this does provide some confusion for the CIS as to our strategy, it leaves other parts of the Core, especially the sector near Ilum vulnerable to infiltration. A small group of ships could slip through the blockades of the shipping lanes and strike the Core worlds. There was dozens of fleets, yes but we're moving too quickly into the Separatist's territory. I feel this is... a trap. A test of some kind or a diversion by the enemy to expose something. The CIS attack on Mon Calamari is understandable but Dantooine is worthless, it always has been. There is little strategic value and resources are scarce, populations sparse. It's a distraction, it has to be."

Revan crossed his arms over his chest, raising his right hand to the base of his mask as he rubbed it absently and walked back and forth across the meeting room. Fay watched with distracted amusement, her bemused smile leaving her features as she saw what Revan meant. Nearly all of the Republic's forces that weren't committed to their current battle or the situations on Dantooine, Mon Calamari and Muunilinst were there for the necessary defense of the Core worlds, notably the industrial centers of the Republic. Fear as well as greed had kept the Republic strategies, dictated to them by the Senate as there was no Republic Military High Command, defensive. Several Senators, notable Amidala, Organa and Mothma had opted to protect their population centers while most of the fleet was spread out to defend businesses that had little to do with war and served only to make corrupted Senators richer. Scowling at the thought, Fay turned her attention from her musings to Revan as he approached the holo of Hypori, his hand brushing against the blue-white hologram.

"I have a bad feeling about this... We're out here alone, unless Kenobi and Skywalker pull off a victory and we've no reinforcements, no reserves. If this is a trap, Fay, we're walking right in to it. It could be many hours, days before any help could arrive if we get separated from the ground forces. We know the CIS outnumbers us in ships and ground forces but I have to give whoever trained the Clones credit in making superior warriors. Still, something else is at work in the Separatist's strategy. They've all but given up Muunilinst to Kenobi and while they were the ones responsible for the bio-weapon, that information is based on second-hand accounts from the enemy. The defense of Muunilinst is half-hearted, yes, but they wouldn't just give over the Banking Clan's resources without a real fight. Someone is walking into a trap, I know it."  
Fay couldn't help but agree with Revan but they had little choice in the matter. Strategy was for the Jedi to decide but the battles were planned by the enemy and the Senate and that brought little faith to the sephi Jedi Master as she noted bitterly that the war was being fought because of a rift in that particular Senate.

The battle for Hypori began as soon as the transports left the capitol ships and Fay ordered the fleet to jump, leaving a single cruiser behind to provide a platform for a hasty retreat for the infiltration team. Dozens of Republic starships flashed into normal space, their gray and red hulls standing in stark contrast against the black of space. Fay was standing on the bridge of her flagship when the first salvo of ion-turret fire struck and the sephi Jedi General focused the Force around her to keep her balance as her ship listed, its hull groaning loudly as it lost power and collided with one of its escorts. The Jedi was horrified to see the escort breaking apart from the collision, bodies of clones drifting in space and easily seen by her sharp eyes. Turning away from the viewport, Fay spotted Revan, his mask staring past her to the starfield and his arms crossed casually as he turned to look at her.

"It was a trap."  
Revan need not have said the words as the turboblasters of the CIS ships surrounding them opened fire, their shields drained to nothing by the opening fire from the Separatist ion cannons. Power flickered on the bridge and Revan calmly reached a hand down to his gauntlet, opening the side to reveal a panel with a small screen and keypad. Entering a quick sequence into the keypad, Revan walked freely about the bridge as Fay and the dozen clones manning the stations drifted into the air as artificial gravity failed. Fay focused the Force, using it to guide her body to the ground and she glanced at Revan as he stepped up to a console one of the clones was clinging to, doing nothing to help but doing nothing to get in the way either.

Surrounding the Republic fleet was a Separatist fleet twice their size and with the element of surprise on their side. Revan shook his head as he watched the clone hastily key in the sequence to activate a cold restart of all their effected systems while several of the smaller cruisers broke ranks to desperately defend the larger ships of their fleet. Revan waited until artificial gravity was restored before deactivating the magnetic seals in his armor and redirecting the current to its powered exoskeleton. Separating himself from the activity, Revan admired the tactics of the Separatists as much as he admired a bantha dropping he'd stepped in once on Tatooine. Staging an ambush took some intelligence but surrounding a fleet with one twice its size spoke of either weak designs in the opposition's ships or fear of the enemy. Watching Fay's small strike force recover quickly, Revan watched as the Separatists cut from battle and ran, leaving behind a damaged though mostly intact Republic fleet. Fay issued orders to pursue and moved to the holo of the battle, her sharp blue eyes narrowed as they studied the display.

"This makes no sense... They had us outnumbered, had us outgunned and could have done a lot more damage than they did... why would they-"  
Half the Separatist fleet vectored away from Fay's forces and blinked away into hyperspace while the Jedi General frowned, passing along an order to track the enemy ships while her fleet moved to engage the slower CIS ships. Revan shook his head silently, already knowing what was happening and he waited until Fay's attention was on him before he responded to her silent question. He'd officially joined as an advisor for the Republic and Jedi but he was of no rank and had no authority. He was simply a civilian and a non-combatant if asked by anyone not wearing a uniform. Revan also had little interest in fighting other people's battles for them. Better to have Fay learn the enemy's tactics for herself before he revealed them. A brief thought of Aayla had Revan frowning beneath his mask as he decided to drop a hint to Fay, glancing at the holo and looking pointedly at the fleeing CIS forces.

"General, they've used some kind of dampening field, we can't lock on to the fleeing ships but we're tracking the remaining fleet heading to a nearby asteroid belt in the nearby Tythe system. All available cruisers are pursuing."  
Fay glanced to Revan, seeing the former Sith Lord staring right back at her, waiting for her to ask his advice. A thoughtful expression crossed Fay's features as she turned her attention to the holo of the battle, her eyes settling on where the Separatist fleet had broken apart. Something wasn't right and she could feel the Force subtly warning her.  
"All ships break off pursuit, scan the asteroid field for gravitational or radiological fluctuations. Make repairs and have the fleet ready to jump back to the Hypori system. This was an ambush, its logical to assume that the droid factory on the planet is either a trap or much more manned than we thought."  
Fay caught a slight tip of Revan's head, a subtle nod and she rolled her eyes at the man. He could have easily saved them the time by saying as much when the Separatist fleet broke away from them but she respected his actions as well. Give a Gungan a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Filing away the metaphor for a more appropriate time for humor, Fay caught sight of Revan brushing past her to stare at the fleeing Separatist ships, his body relaxed through his aura seemed pointed, dangerously focused. The Jedi watched curiously as an asteroid shifted position suddenly, colliding with the side of a fleeing ship and knew by the amused chuckle from Revan that the former Dark Lord of the Sith was somehow responsible.

"I used to do that during the Jedi Civil War when they'd try to run away. Mandalorians never ran unless they had a plan, they never showed fear. The droids are much the same, though their leaders might make it a bit more interesting. Hypori... this entire battle was a trap and I think its time we speak with the Senate about planning battles free of their influence. We've obviously been duped here, there's likely hundreds of spies within the Senate and if they vote on every battle they chose to commit forces to..."  
Fay shook her head at Revan's vocalized thoughts. It was good strategy to keep battle-plans secret, but the Senate had the power and unless they wanted to give Senator Palpatine more control over the situation, they would be stuck with a well-informed enemy. That could be disastrous either way as Palpatine was a politician and politicians made terrible military strategists. Fay said as much to Revan as the results from the scans came back, showing the asteroid field was laced with both nukes and an interdictor generator that would prevent escape through hyperspace.

Hypori was a disaster, the single Republic cruiser that had been left behind to evacuate the Jedi and ARC troopers on the surface was a smoldering wreck, the nose of its wedge-shaped design smashed in as its engines were raised to the sky, smoldering as they glowed orange in Hypori's temperate, though thin atmosphere. Tens of thousands of battle droids of all shapes and sizes stood around the wreck, the Jedi and ARC troopers that had survived the failed attempt against the droid factory on Hypori taking refuge within the ship alongside several hundred clone survivors. That number was slowly dwindling under the constant approach of battle droids and the situation was utterly hopeless, the survivors completely surrounded by a literal wall of sentient machines bent on their destruction.

General Grievous stood within the ranks of his droid soldiers, his cold yellow eyes smiling as he saw more clones fall to the droid horde. Reaching his mechanical hands to his cloak, Grievous removed two lightsabers, prizes kept from Jedi killed on Geonosis and he laughed cruelly as he passed on orders to the droids to save the Jedi for him to kill. The droids acknowledged, targeting the ever diminishing number of clones within the wrecked cruiser and the Jedi fought desperately against them, Daakman Barrek activating his Jedi communicator and breaking comms silence as he sent out a plea for aid from any nearby Jedi or Republic forces. Seeing the Jedi amongst the clones around the makeshift battlements the destroyed ship created, Grievous narrowed his eyes, moving forward swiftly as he activated his trophies, their blue and green blades snapping to life with a hiss as he approached the Jedi, his mechanical body allowing him to dodge the clones, tossing them about and slaughtering them as if they were children and not trained soldiers. Zeroing in on the Jedi and his weapon, Grievous struck, slashing away brutally with superior strength and inhuman speed. General Barrek fell to the unfamiliar foe, his message being intercepted on Muunilinst, where Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan had finally subdued the world and taken its leadership into custody to answer for their involvement with the Separatists and the bio-weapon attack on Atraken.

Revan stared at the fleet surrounding Hypori, raising a brow beneath his mask as the communicator picked up General Barrek's final moments. Feeling nothing for the man's demise, Revan replayed the holo, studying the strange cyborg that had killed the man, his brow furrowing at the Separatist General's fighting style. It was a mixture of Ataru but with the brute force of Djem-so. It lacked any and all grace, the style so broken down to suit its owner that its Jedi roots were hardly recognizable, though Revan saw it as well as Fay. The elven-like Jedi closed her eyes, mourning the death of a fellow Jedi before she saw Revan replaying the image again and again with no outward sign of emotion. The lack of connection to the dead Jedi General bothered Fay, but she pushed it aside when she saw the same thing Revan did in the recording.

"He's been trained... poorly, but he's been trained by someone familiar in the Jedi arts."  
Revan nodded absently to Fay's statement, his eyes studying the joints and body of the droid that was given through the blue-white hologram. A reversible joint was visible as well as a locking mechanism in each arm and Revan crossed his arms, brushing his thumb and forefinger against his mask's base in silent thought. It almost looked as if the cyborg could separate his arms but Revan found the idea... foolish, dangerously so when using lightsabers. The fewer blades to kill yourself with the better and while he sometimes favored using multiple blades, he had the Force and from the fighting style of Grievous, Revan could tell the cyborg had little to no connection, his style a mechanical dance, ungraceful but brutal and efficient, utilizing the strength mechanical limbs gave its owner and Revan decided Grievous would be a problem simply because of that fact. Jedi were used to fighting beings with blasters or beings that fought like they did. Grievous was unorthodox, fighting almost like a Mandalorian atop a Basilisk and Revan could admire the style's efficiency, though its grace left something to be desired. The droid-half-breed had no Force-sense and was using split-second calculations and the speed and strength allotted to his artificial limbs to overwhelm his opponents.

Revan's thoughts briefly turned to Aayla as he glanced at Fay, seeing that the Jedi General was busy issuing orders to the fleet as they engaged in a space battle. Letting out a slow breath, Revan uncrossed his arms, stalking away from the bridge and flicking on his communicator to replay orders to the landing bay. A transport would never get past the enemy fleet but a one-man fighter could. Fay glanced at Revan's retreat, knowing what he was planning even before he told her so over the comms and she silently asked the Force to watch over him as well as her fellow Jedi below.

Revan absently noted that the Jedi fighter he was in was fast, maneuverable and better than anything he'd ever flown in his time with the exception of a highly modified Sith fighter he used for personal errands. His old fighter had been destroyed with his flagship but it was a hybrid of Sith, Republic, Rakatan and Mandalorian technology. Its appearance was unique, black and red and a bi-wing foil design that most Sith fighters possessed while having the delta-shaped body of a Republic fighter and the weapons-tech of a Mandalorian Basilisk as well as a Basilisk's sensors. Its engine had been purely Rakatan, a leftover design from the Infinite Empire giving it the speed of a cruiser in hyperspace and the maneuverability of a mynock. Revan mourned its loss, though he supposed it was for the better. The craft made space-battle boring, its automated systems did most of the work and Revan wondered if the second fighter he'd made and hidden away on Korriban was still there. It would likely make his escape from the dead world easier when he returned and killed the Exile.

Republic Acclamator I-class cruisers lacked the ion-cannons of their ancient predecessor Interdictor cruisers that Revan was more familiar with but made up for it with proton torpedo launchers and roughly twice the conventional firepower from their tuboblaster and quad-laser turrets. As the former Dark Lord of the Sith wove his Jedi fighter through the battle, he spun experimentally, observing the dueling ships with a critical eye and making out their various weapons platforms as well as point-defenses. Making a mental note to stay clear of the CIS capitol ships, Revan pushed the sublight engines as fast as they would go, a subtle tremble bleeding through the craft's intertial dampening field as its stabilizers struggled to keep up with Revan's grueling commands. Revan could feel the faint bull of G-forces tugging at his gut and he channeled the Force into his body, fortifying it against the strain as he pulled maneuvers that barely kept his fighter from tearing itself apart with the strain. Pursuing CIS fighters quickly found themselves on the business end of Revan's guns and the former Dark Lord smirked as he kept count in his mind, the fighter buckling and groaning as he pushed it beyond its safe functions.

It took the Separatists close to a half hour of pursuing Revan before they were forced to turn their attention to protecting their capitol ships from the advancing Republic forces and Revan brought the fighter into Hypori's atmosphere, a trail of red-orange fire burning behind his fighter from re-entry. Revan diverted power from weapons, channeling it into the craft's shielding and slowed his approach, twisting his fighter in a spinning barrel roll as he brought it over a Separatist facility. The weapons emplacements fired on the Jedi fighter and the former Sith Lord growled quietly as he punched the engines, flying at the edge of recommending atmospheric flight speed as he spotted the mass of droids surrounding the survivors of the assault on Hypori, the back end of the Acclamator I-class cruiser in the sky as its nose lay, buried and twisted in the ground. Revan quickly flicked on his weapons systems, deciding to thin the numbers a bit before getting his boots on the ground.

Thousands of battle droids turned their guns skyward as a single Jedi fighter screamed overhead, unleashing destruction upon the massed horde of droids that could not have been achieved had the droids any cover or practical shielding from aerial assault. In the cockpit of his fighter, Revan smirked as he fired his compliment of missiles and drained his energy stores for his weapons, dozens of seconds passing, nearly bleeding into a whole minute before the mass of droids below and their concentrated fire finally scored hits on Revan's fighter. The former Sith Lord cursed as his fighter lost its engines and plummeted to the ground, its shields blazing blue against the small-arms fire of the droids. Revan guided the craft as best he could, diverting all its power to the stabilizers as it collided with the ground, skidding to a half one hundred meters away from the downed starship.

Popping the canopy, Revan was a blur of black and red as his lightsabers, both blazing red in the dust and smoke waved in arcs of crimson death. Dozens of nearby droids were felled before Revan let one of the sabers fly, its form spinning in the air in a circle around Revan, guided by an invisible hand as he deflected blasterbolts with his remaining weapon. Revan knew he could not last long in the open and brushed his free hand to his gauntlet, activating his energy shield before he quickly reclaimed his wayward saber and broke off into a Force-enhanced sprint for the ship. The former Dark Lord of the Sith covered the one hundred yards in seven seconds flat, slowed by the daze of the impact still clouding his mind before he was safely behind an upturned section of the downed Republic cruiser's hull. Gathering his breath, Revan replaced one of his sabers to his belt, rushing from the limited cover to a tear in the downed cruiser's hull as he activated his shield's second charge, not even bothering to take the energy to deflect the shots back as he ran.

The interior of the downed ship was littered with clone corpses and Revan paused, eyeing the white-armored forms with little emotion. He'd seen many more men killed before, in worse ways and this was nothing to him. Stepping past the bodies, Revan turned his attention to the makeshift passageway he'd just come through, reaching out his left hand and making a grasping gesture as the tear twisted and closed, sealing out any unwelcome distractions. Returning his attention to his surroundings, Revan kept his saber at the ready, prepared for Grievous, should the droid choose to strike.

Obi-Wan Kenobi watched the space battle around Hypori dispassionately, a sour look crossing his face as he moved to join the ground forces. They needed to get to the survivors and evacuate them before this turned out any more of a disaster. As if to prove his point, a Separatist fleet that was nearly an equal match to the hulks of debris floating around Hypori already entered the system and Kenobi sighed mentally, reminding himself not to tempt the Force ever again. Seeing the assault squad off, Obi-Wan returned to the bridge to coordinate the space battle while two ARC squadrons moved away from his ship, using the cover provided by their escorts to breach the atmosphere of Hypori. Moving at a stealth trajectory and flying so low that they took off the heads of dozens of the battle droids before they began dropping bombs on the crowded and exposed droid positions while blowing a hole in the side of the downed ship to rescue the survivors.

Revan decided that Grievous was good at hiding as he tended to an injured Aayla Secura, Shaak Ti on the ground behind him. The Jedi General K'Kruhk appeared dead, but Revan's senses told him the Jedi was in a healing trance and he waited beside the three injured Jedi, knowing that leaving them unprotected would defeat the purpose of coming down to the planet. While Grievous was still fighting Master Mundi, Revan knew a droid could slip in, capture or kill the Jedi while they were all but helpless and such an honor less tactic was not a worthy death of a Jedi, especially one that had proven her skills to Revan as much as Aayla had. Reaching out with his senses, Revan was surprised to sense a group of clones rapidly approaching before an explosion rocked the ruined starship, creating an opening to admit two ARC LAAT-I gunships, stocked with advanced clone troopers. Revan felt several join the Force as blasterfire and minor explosions rocked the hulk. A squad quickly broke in to his position, their stealth admirable and Revan pushed down his unease, nodding to the injured. In battle one had to know the loyalties of their comrades and the clones were capable fighters, showing no fear and no hesitation but their origins were still a mystery and Revan still disliked the Republic having the clones do all the fighting for them instead of defending their own beliefs with their own blood. It lacked honor and painted the Republic in a bad light in Revan's mind. Freedom and democracy meant little if it could be bought and Revan knew that freedom and safety could easily be taken away by a higher bidder with more credits to throw around.

Warily moving amongst the clones, Revan boarded the rescue craft, casually taking a thermal detonator from a clone trooper's belt and tossing it in the direction he sensed Grievous lurking. A muffled curse followed by the sound of scraping metal was heard before it was drowned out by an explosion and Revan chuckled to himself, knowing the droid General was still alive, but also knowing he had given him a bitter victory for being stupid enough to lurk that close to him. The return trip to the Republic ships in orbit was not as easy as their landing and Revan was grazed by a chunk of shrapnel as the droid ground forces fired on their retreating craft, a stray shot hitting the side of the craft near Revan and fragmenting the metal hull. Revan cursed, visually checking the wound and finding that a nice thick chunk of smoldering, red-hot metal was scorching his skin. Taking an offered pain stim for a clone medic, Revan injected himself quickly after making sure the medicine was indeed what it said it was before he took a seat in the craft, watching as the minefield that floated in orbit around Hypori consumed a Republic capitol ship. Fay's quick thinking had prevented any major losses, but the minefield had still done some damage and Revan sighed as their craft landed, medics and healers working to treat the injured Jedi while a familiar Mon Calamari Jedi Healer approached Revan, eyeing his injury critically before motioning for him to follow her. Knowing better than to turn down medical help from a relatively trustworthy source, Revan followed Bant as she led the way to the med bay where the three severely wounded Jedi were being stabilized and Master Mundi was getting his injuries seen to.

Mundi nodded to Revan, his mistrust of the Sith Lord from the past not as acute after having the man come to aid them on the surface and stay with his wounded comrades to protect them. Mundi kept his eyes away from Revan as the man was treated and released, waiting until the former Sith Lord left to an adjacent room to visit with a now conscious Aayla before he approached Bant and nodded down to the piece of metal coated in Revan's blood.

"The Council has been trying to get a voluntary sample of Revan's blood to test his Midichlorian count for some time. I'm going to have to ask you to let me see the results, immediately."  
Bant frowned at Master Mundi, her silver eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the exhausted and injured Cerulean Jedi Master. Bant glanced in the direction Revan had gone, irrationally believing he would be listening in on their conversation about him before she returned her questioning gaze to Mundi, her Mon Calamari features uncertain.

"Do you have his permission, Master?"  
The exhaustion in the Jedi Councillor's face left quickly, replaced by a sour, almost bitter expression. They'd asked Revan and been turned down, rudely and while they could not force the man to give up his blood, an injury treated by one of their Jedi could lead to a test being done for any pathogens in his bloodstream. A simple safeguard done in concern for Revan's health. Ki thought to say as much but Bant's stern expression caused him to waver in the rather flimsy request, instead he answered the Jedi Healer honestly.

"We have no idea if Revan is a threat to us or not and we've no idea what diseases or immunities he has as he was displaced four thousand years from his time. It is logical and wise to check his blood for any dangers, be they his Midichlorian count or any diseases he carries or is susceptible to. I don't want to make this an order, Bant but it is necessary, for the security of the Jedi Order. He is a stranger, an outsider who freely claims to have been a Dark Lord of the Sith. We cannot ignore that, nor the darkness we can all feel within him. He can be a very great threat and I would like to know what we are up against if that unfortunate event were to occur."  
Bant could find no way to logically counter the Jedi Master, though she argued against the test for Midichlorians until Mundi made it an order and she was forced to defer to the Council's edict. Bant ran the scans of Revan's blood, purposely avoiding the Midichlorian test as she checked for pathogens and immunities he lacked before she was finally forced to check his Midichlorian count. Ki-Adi Mundi was practically staring over her shoulder and Bant felt his disbelieving huff as he stared at the scan incredulously before looking at her with open suspicion.

"Perhaps I was not clear, Padawan. The results."  
Bant shook her head, answering honestly as she turned with a confused expression to the Jedi Master.  
"This is his blood, there is no question and I ran a complete diagnosis on this equipment before I started the scan. Everything is accurate. This is Revan's blood and that scan of his... his Midichlorians is accurate..."  
Sensing that she was being sincerely honest with him, the Jedi Councillor stared at the results incredulously, his confusion and a sudden dread causing his voice to grow gruff.

"He- he should not even be able to access the Force... We- we should not be able to sense them. It- its just impossible. He _should _ exist outside of the Force, he _should _be dead if this is correct..."  
Ki-Adi Mundi and Bant Eerin both stared at the flashing indicator on the screen of Revan's Midichlorian count, the galactic basic numerical sequence for _zero_ flashing before both their eyes and leading to more questions than answers. Revan should not have a Force-presence let alone access to the Force and both Jedi were suddenly overcome with dread at confronting the man over the issue. There wouldn't likely be answers to the questions his bizarre results brought up without bringing it to his attention and neither Jedi felt safe about telling a former Dark Lord of the Sith that they'd scanned his blood without his consent. It was simply inconceivable to them that anyone could exist without Midichlorians. Ever since the Rusaan Reformation science had proven that the Midichlorians allowed sentients to access the Force and what Revan was, what his results represented was simply unnatural and unexplainable to them.

Still, things change in four thousand years. Especially when that change is necessary for survival.


	12. Chapter 11: What is Right and What is Wr

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: Yea, yea, I know. Blah blah this and that, I just thought this would be an interesting angle to throw into the story to explain Revan's unusual and unique Force-connection in the AOTC and ROTS timelines. As for Revan's parentage... just think of the name Revan Qel-Droma... I just... flows...

Chapter 11: What is Right and What is Wrong

One year, one year Revan had been a _guest_ of the Jedi Order, a man displaced from his own time and universe and left with something that was similar, yet so utterly different that it confounded him, drove him near the edge of his sanity and for one year, Revan had refused to let himself _live_ in the strange time he was in. Until this very moment. Korriban was unchanged, the ruins of the ancient Sith still standing tall in the Valley of the Dark Lords, the carved faces of the statues lining the great mausoleums bearing witness to the ages that had passed since they last saw the red-armored, black-robed man before them. Revan had gone on a leave of absence following the Battle of Hypori, deciding to seek out the strange Sith artifact that had caused him to be displaced in time. Alone, the former Jedi Knight and former Sith Lord moved like a shadow, Tukata and wild Kath hounds roaming the oppressed and dry surface of the Sith's ancient Throne world bayed in the distance. Revan stalked through the muted afternoon light of Korriban, his every motion as graceful and deadly as the predators surrounding him.

Caverns, long caved in from orbital bombardments or earthquakes dotted the familiar, unchanged hillside and Revan took in a deep breath, the dry, crisp air of Korriban filling his lungs with its strangely comforting presence. It was almost exactly as it had been in his time, though Dreshdae was a ruin as ancient as the tombs around him, Revan felt at home in the ruined world's graveyards, a part of his mind finding it fitting that he, a relic of a bygone era would find peace here of all places, where the Darkside of the Force was at its strongest.

However peaceful Revan felt on the desolate, deserted world, all pretenses were forgotten when he found the cavern the crystal had been in, its ancient doorway opened to the world and the ancient glyphs worn to incomprehensible shapes that no longer told a story of the ancient Sith, but of the passage of time. Revan's lips formed into a hard, straight line as his eyes scanned the ransacked cave through his mask's sensors. The crystal was gone, everything that had once been untouched when he had been there, four thousand years ago was overturned, ruined and left as nothing more than debris. Crumbling sections of the walls showed signs of recent activity, though the damage had been done months before. A fleeting sense of panic passed through Revan before he pushed it aside, following his common sense and inspecting each and every inch of the ruin, a holocron in his mask recording each and every detail, every speck of dust, every darkened corner, every overturned relic.

In a subdued pace that belied the strong, graceful strides he had taken to the tomb, Revan moved from the cavern, calmly pulling his mask from his face and pulling back his hood as he checked the information stored on the device. He would go over each scrap of evidence when he returned to Fay's fleet before he would give in to something so mundane as panic again. He'd been on the edge when he first showed up in this strange time but logic told him to remain calm, to check every possible detail before giving in to his emotions and... well, going nuts.

Walking away from the ancient cavern, Revan paused, his eyes focusing on a glint of metal, unnatural amongst the rocks and ruins in its worn design and the former Dark Lord of the Sith moved quickly, stopping short of running as he approached the twisted metal and bones that littered the outside of the ancient structure. Revan knelt down, pushing aside the bones of a slain Tukata to stare into the damaged, though fairly intact head of a Trade Federation Battle Droid. Taking the head from the sand, Revan checked to see if its memory core was intact before he removed the deactivated droid's processor, tossing the head aside as he secured the invaluable information in his armor's leather pouch. It was the only clue he had in how to get to his own time, how to get home and he would not discard the only means of reuniting with Bastila until he held her in his arms once more. It had been too long since he'd felt her, smelled the pleasing scent of her hair or saw the gleam in her gray eyes and Revan would never give up, never stop until she was safe again, free of the threat of the Exile. He couldn't accept being stuck in the future, though it did not stop his mind from considering the implications his continued presence would have on the Republic of this time.

A map of the galaxy glowed in a strategy room within the Jedi Temple, the hologram showing a faint dot that pulsed in red, the location of the man who had been Darth Revan. Mace Windu's stern features stared at the location grimly, his skin crawling at the very thought of that dark, forsaken world. Why anyone would freely go there was beyond him. Korriban was a wasteland, a ruined world that held little life and nothing of value save the tombs of long-dead Sith that even to this day continued to haunt the site. Swallowing back the lump that formed in his throat at the thought of Korriban, Mace turned his attention to Grandmaster Yoda as the small, troll-like Jedi Master's eyes gazed at the map with a hint of apprehension. The only other Jedi present for the meeting were Ki-Adi Mundi, Bant Eerin and a recovering Shaak Ti and all three were at a loss for why Revan would take one of their fighters to that world, why he would walk freely amongst the ghosts of the darkside's violent past glory. It was disturbing that Revan was so powerful, that he was so unreadable in the Force and that he was so skilled. It brought up questions within the minds of the Jedi that had yet to be answered.

"Midichlorians have not always been used to test a potential student's strength. The practice was started shortly before the Rusaan Reformation a thousand years ago, though the records of the time are unclear and even the older Jedi do not know the details, we are fairly certain Midichlorians were not used to test Force-potential in Revan's time... but it does not make sense that there are no Midichlorians in his blood. There should be something, anything... yet his blood is clear of the microbe. Of our understanding, medically and scientifically, Revan should be blind to the Force, yet it answers his call... I do not understand this and nothing in the archives says anything in regards to Midichlorians during Revan's time, or even a thousand years after. Those were dark times in the galaxy and so much was lost to the wars, to the destruction that swept the Republic of that era that we have no knowledge of what really happened or... or how the Midichlorians were actually discovered."

Yoda's ears dropped slightly in thought, his expression uncertain as he considered the mystery of Revan's Midichlorian count and his unexplained presence on Korriban. The Jedi's eyes turned back to the hologram, his eyes widening ever so slightly as the flashing indicator of Revan's Jedi fighter moved from Korriban, steadily approaching Coruscant, where Fay's battlegroup was recuperating from the battle through replacements and repairs. Whatever business Revan had on Korriban was finished and Yoda considered his thoughts carefully before deciding what was to be done.

"Ask him, we will. Powerful, Revan is, but fool, he is not. Know, he will, that wary we are of him. Trust, we must show, if trust we wish to gain. Ask him we will, of his dealings on Korriban and ask him we will of his knowledge of the Midichlorians."  
The other Jedi Masters deferred to Yoda's wisdom, though Bant was frowning at a datapad in her hand. From what remained intact in the archives, the Jedi Healer found that Midichlorians were a fairly recent discovery to the Jedi Order, one that barely predated their current time's Republic by only decades and as she considered the thousands of years that had passed, considered the rift in the Force and the imbalance as well as the _dark age_ that followed the Mandalorian and Jedi Civil Wars, Bant realized a very startling truth.

"What if the Midichlorians never existed in Revan's time... From- from what he's told me of his time there were hundreds of thousands of Jedi and Sith, entire populations of Force-sensitives, entire sentient species that wielded the Force naturally and... well, what if the Midichlorians were- were a type of control measure used by someone between his time and ours. What- what if they are an anti-virus of sorts to- to a disease that blinded people to the Force?"  
Absolute silence followed the Mon Calamari Jedi's speculation and the four members of the Jedi Council exchanged grim, though thoughtful looks. It made sense, it would easily explain the state of the Force as well as the unusual connection Revan held to the Force, even in its imbalanced state and the Jedi were slowly beginning to understand a truth that had been buried in the past, buried beneath thousands of years of war and destruction and darkness that had suffocated the light and made the galaxy of two or three thousand years past a hellish place. The Midichlorians were a means of control with the Force, the cure to a genetic weapon devised to blind others to the Force. Still, the question remained to be answered as to how and why Revan was not affected by the Midichlorians, why whatever made others who were without a high Midichlorian count blind to the Force and its effects while Revan wielded it freely.

Revan himself never bothered with the question of what Midichlorians were. He had no intention of the Jedi getting their hands on a sample of his blood. In his time the Force-potential of a sentient was taken into account when testing the subject for Jedi training, not some blood test that would determine their future as a Jedi or a normal person. Revan was still a bit in the dark as to the purpose of the Midichlorians. The Force was energy, manipulated through a highly advanced brain that learned to access its subtleties. The average sentient, humans being the template, operated on roughly ten percent of their brain's capabilities while a Jedi of significant power, Juhani for example used close to twenty percent of her brain's potential. Revan's potential had been measured at around twenty-four percent when Kreia had discovered him on the Outer Rim and taken him to be trained as a Jedi Knight but Revan knew that percentage had grown. The Jedi had always said if one were to put their mind to the problem, to focus on the tenets of the Jedi and seek out the Force's truths that they would have an endless potential. The difference between the lightside and the darkside was simply the damage the practice caused on the body and mind. Sith lived much shorter lives than Jedi simply because the Darkside of the Force destroyed their bodies slowly from the inside, out. Revan had taken that sacrifice though when he'd taken on the teachings of the Sith. He knew the destructive powers of the Force, accessed through a highly-developed mind were a most dangerous tool and would be needed in the war with the True Sith.

En route to Coruscant, Revan used the shipboard computer of the Jedi fighter, a device that was slightly more advanced than the computers of his time, to create an uplink to the battle droid's memory core. Shifting through a listing of audio and video files, Revan came across a recording in the droid's memory banks of Count Dooku ordering a search part be sent to Korriban to recover an artifact that his Master wanted in his possession. Disconnecting the memory core and wiping it, Revan made a mental note to dispose of the device when he set down on Fay's flagship, his mind playing over the information he'd just seen. The Dark Lord of the Sith, or the Dark Lord's apprentice if the Jedi's theory as to the Sith Rule of Two; had the crystal, the only means of his returning to his own time and Revan found that to be a very distasteful situation. While he was not a fan of the Jedi Order, the Jedi of this time had done nothing outwardly wrong towards him that was not warranted while the Sith had shot him down, had thousands of droids try to kill him and led to a long, boring walk through a hot and inhospitable desert. All in all the Jedi were looking to be the better companions for the next three years than the Sith and Revan struggled with his emotions a moment.

The Sith did not know the purpose of the crystal. They would keep it as a relic of the Ancient Sith most likely, though how or why they found it was a disturbing thought and Revan was again uncertain of what he should do. Confronting the Sith about the crystal would let them know it meant something to him and they would likely use it as leverage to control him or kill him and Revan was in no mood for that kind of behavior. He was nobody's pawn, and anyone besides Bastila who thought they could order him around would not live long enough to regret it. Well... unless they tossed a nuke at him, then he'd probably just be reduced to radioactive ash. Rolling his eyes at his errant thought, Revan double-checked his hyperdive calculations before setting the fighter's autopilot and leaning back in the seat to relax. There was a war going on, a small one in his opinion, but a war none-the-less and he should get what rest he could.

Jedi Master and General of the Republic's Grand Army, Fay, walked through the quiet hallways of the Jedi Temple, her eyes half-closed as she basked in the peace of the Temple she had grown up in. After a century of service to the Jedi Order as a Knight and Master, Fay had felt compelled by the Force to wander in a self-imposed exile on the Outer Rim, spending decades simply viewing the life those on the Rim lived in comparison to the Core. She'd seen things that were horrifying as well as things that were so magnificent they took her breath away, but she had never seen whatever it was the Force was trying to warn her of, never saw the threat looming beyond the edge of the galaxy that had festered for thousands of years in silent rage. After centuries of wandering, Fay had returned to the Temple and was well-received, her return due mainly to the presence of a time traveler that she found to be... compelling, if not a little bizarre. Revan was power, there was no other way she could describe him. His body was at the peak of physical fitness, his charisma, his intelligence and his skills all told of a man who's life had been spend training and learning, at such an advanced rate that it made the Jedi training of her time seem lacking. Though... he had some serious character flaw because of it.  
"Master Fay, the Council is asking to see you."  
Fay turned her attention to a young female Iridonian with pale gray skin and shoulder length brown hair, a strand of the hair tied in the traditional braid of a Jedi Padawan. The girl looked to be ten years old and Fay frowned mentally, knowing most Padawans were not chosen until their twelfth or thirteenth year by Masters. Obviously times were changing and there was a need for more Jedi Knights. Many of the older Padawans had been Knighted, the battles they fought in acting as their trials and Fay was concerned for what that meant for the younger Jedi. Soon the Jedi Order would be made up of old Masters and younglings barely able to leave the creche. Pushing aside the grief that took her heart at such thoughts, Fay thanked the young Padawan before making her way towards the Council Chambers, her robes pale white in the dimmed lighting of the Temple as night had fallen over Coruscant. Looking much like Atris had in her librarian robes, Fay was the picture of calm, her face serene despite her sorrows over the war engulfing the galaxy and her worries over Revan. He'd left after Hypori, stating that he had something personal to take care of and he had not thought enough of Aayla or herself to tell them what.

_"All in good time. Trust is earned."_

Fay's internal musings stopped abruptly as she stepped from the lift and entered the Council Chambers. Yoda was there, a constant in the Temple since she had been a young initiate and Fay smiled faintly at the small alien, Yoda's grave expression halting the peace she had felt in his presence moments before. Four other Council seats were taken by Shaak Ti, Ki-Adi Mundi, Mace Windu and strangely enough Obi-Wan Kenobi and Fay rose a brow at the Jedi Knight, wondering if his assignment to the Council was due to necessity and not skill. Obi-Wan was still a fairly young man and while he was an admirable Jedi Knight, he was still too young to be officially on the Council. Most did not become Councillors until they were fifty years old and Obi-Wan still had a good decade and a half before that time. Three holograms were lit, filling all but five seats in the Council Chambers and Fay tried not to let her gaze linger too long on the empty chairs, seats that had yet to be filled for Jedi called away to battle that would not return. The Jedi Master noticed a Mon Calamari Jedi Knight standing beside Obi-Wan and she rose a brow as she studied Bant, the Jedi Healer's salmon-colored features seemed troubled and Fay felt a sudden dread rise up inside her.

"Masters."  
Fay stated calmly, bowing her head in deference to the Jedi High Council. The Councillors all exchanged brief pleasantries, inclining their heads before Mace Windu started off the meeting.

"We've asked you here for two reasons, Fay. The first is that the Jedi Council is in need of more members and you are... quite frankly the most qualified Jedi in the field that is not on this Council. We would like to ask you to join our ranks and become a member of the High Council."

Mace kept his tone formal, though there was an edge to his voice that caused Fay to frown slightly. The Korun Jedi Master seemed unhappy with something and she doubted it was a Council appointment. Pausing to consider the offer, Fay weighed her options. She had chosen exile over the Council centuries before and now the choice was again set out before her. Thinking of the young Padawan that had been sent for her for this very meeting, Fay inclined her head respectfully, turning her eyes to each of the seven Jedi Masters actively on the Council.

"I would be honored to accept this position, Masters."  
Mace looked relieved for a moment, though his features grew stern, a gleam of unease flickering in his dark eyes for a moment before he passed on the assignment that the Council had voted on before Fay's arrival.

"The second reason we have summoned you here, Master Fay, is that we've become concerned with _Darth_ Revan."  
Mace's use of Revan's Sith title was deliberate and the Korun Jedi Master looked as if he had just eaten something sour as he spoke the title Dark Lords of the Sith claimed. Regaining a neutral Jedi facade, Mace continued to Fay's silent frown while the other Jedi Masters looked on uneasily. They were asking Fay to spy on Revan in a way, to repeat the precautions they had taken a year earlier with Obi-Wan and Aayla when Revan had aided in Senator Amidala's protection from the assassination attempts that had ceased at the beginning of the Clone wars.

"We've tracked the fighter he took on his personal errand to Korriban and... something else had come to our attention that is just as disturbing. A sample of Revan's blood was tested at the order of this Council..."  
Mace paused, turning his eyes to Bant as the Jedi Healer tensed, her posture straightening though an unhappy look had crossed her features. Obi-Wan gently took the Jedi Healer's hand, squeezing it reassuringly before letting go and turning back to the newly appointed Master at the center of the room. Fay's subtle frown had lost its subtlety and she was staring at the floor in silent thought.

"Revan did not wish his blood to be tested. It has been over a year and no harmful contagions have come to our attention... Aayla and I have been in almost daily contact with the man for the past year and neither of us has seen any signs of illness, from ourselves or him... Are- are you saying the Council tested his blood against his will?"  
Mace's expression was calm, collected and lacking of any emotion, though he exchanged a glance with Yoda before looking back to Fay and nodding an affirmation. Fay's expression was troubled for a moment before she nodded to herself and looked up into Yoda's eyes, knowing the diminutive Jedi was the Order's Grandmaster and that his voice carried the weight of the Council's collective decision. Mace was simply the spokesperson and Fay decided then and there the reason she had decided to leave the Order for a time was a correct one. She'd seen enough on the Rim to know the Republic was ignorant of many things and even the Jedi had a thing or two to learn.

"I must respectfully decline my appointment to the High Council, then. As I am morally opposed to this development that was done with the Council's consent."  
Mace's eyes lowered to the ground a moment before he looked up and into Fay's determined, ethereal features, respect in his eyes.

"That is precisely the reason we need someone like you on this Council, Master Fay."  
Mace's voice was uncharacteristically soft, but it carried its message clearly. War was changing the Order and Fay recalled Revan's warnings to her about being careful who she should trust. When it came down to it, Fay knew she really had no choice in the matter, none that her conscience would abide and the Jedi General accepted the Council seat gracefully, knowing the future of the Jedi Order was partially in her hands. It was dawn when Revan's Jedi fighter arrived in the Coruscant system and Fay had relayed a message asking the former Sith Lord to meet her in the Temple, the sephi Jedi Master not having gotten any sleep the previous night and looking uncharacteristically drained as she waited in her appointed quarters within the Jedi Temple.

Fay was sitting on a cushioned couch in her quarters with a datapad in her hand, her blue eyes dimmed slightly by the task she had to attend to and she had spent most of the night in the Archives and the Medical wing of the Temple, going over Revan's blood and the records the ancient archives held and she had gained a new, startling insight into Revan's parentage. The records in the medical archives only held DNA profiles, lacking any information or references to Midichlorians, they had remained untouched by thousands of years of war and political change and it was no difficult task for a Jedi Councillor to gain access and do a comparison of Revan's DNA for similarities with other strands within their records. She had simple wondered if the Council had missed something in their recordings but when the name of Revan's probable father had shown up on the scanner, Fay had simply stared at the image of a once-Jedi Knight that had fallen to the Darkside and become a Dark Lord of the Sith, a strangely ironic and fitting father, if Revan had indeed been his son. Deciding to ask Revan rather than speculate, Fay had taken the file of the fallen Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma and stared at it as she waited for Revan to come to her. There was a strong resemblance between Ulic and Revan, their eyes and hair were nearly the same color, though Revan's face was more angular, more defined. Sighing, Fay looked up as her door chime sounded and she collected herself mentally before standing and keying in the command to open the door into her console.

Revan looked a bit dusty, the red-orange dust that had coated his armor and robes on Korriban was still there, though a nice little pile of it was in the hangar of the Jedi Temple, likely being swept up by some poor initiate who'd gotten the short straw for their duties. Revan did his best to look apologetic as Fay eyed him in bemusement, pointedly looking down at a small trail of sand the man was leaving in his wake.

"Sorry, I haven't had time to get cleaned up."  
Fay shook her head, suppressing the urge to laugh as she beckoned Revan in and closed the door, locking it after a moment's thought. She had no idea how Revan would react when she told him what the Council had ordered done to his blood but she was under no illusions that his response would not be anger and it would likely draw the attention of any nearby Jedi. She did not want them to be disturbed, she needed Revan to understand the importance of his blood and what it meant for the Jedi Order, for the Force itself.

"Much as I would prefer it... this is not a social call, Revan. I... was appointed to the Jedi Council in your absence and certain... information was brought to my attention with the increased clearance I gained. I swear to you I did not know of this until last night, Revan."  
The Mandalorian-raised former Jedi and Dark Lord of the Sith rose a brow silently in question, his features looking concerned, a concern that Fay noted was for her and not himself. Feeling angry at the Council for a moment, Fay calmed her mind, allowing the Jedi Code to occupy her rebellious mind as she moved to her couch, motioning for Revan to sit as she took a seat and lifted the datapad in her deceptively delicate-looking hands. Revan's frown grew troubled as he noticed the datapad and he joined Fay on the couch, grimacing slightly as he knew sand was likely to coat the gray seat when he rose. Turning his attention fully to Fay, Revan glanced briefly at the datapad, his blood running cold at the image of the man he had been told was his father. Blood, the world stuck at the forefront of his mind and Revan spoke before Fay could.

"They tested my blood..."  
Fay nodded slowly, hey body tense, though she forced herself to remain non-threatening. She would not fight Revan, if he chose to strike out at her, she would not defend herself, she would not raise her hand against him in battle, she respected him too much for that and she wanted him to know that she was not his enemy. She had thought them to be friends, but Revan's withdrawal of recent weeks had been disturbing, as had the Force-energies she and Aayla had sensed from him. If he was a danger to the Order and to the Republic she would do what was needed, but Fay knew Revan was a danger only to those who tried attack him or control him. The Jedi had been trying to control him, though passively and Fay knew Revan well enough to know he loathed it. Fay's eyes fixed with Revan's before the deposed Dark Lord looked to a random point on the wall, his face lacking any expression as he cooly considered his reaction. Impulsiveness would get you killed or maimed in battle so the initial response of rage had been separated from Revan's body, the Force filling with a dark anger that rivaled Darth Sidious before it slowly cleared and Revan gave a disgusted snort of bitter laughter.  
"The shrapnel from Hypori. It was Bant and that Cerulean Jedi Master wasn't it?"  
Fay's lips pressed together a moment before she locked them unconsciously, her mouth feeling dry at the fires of rage she saw behind Revan's brown eyes. The air was potent, filled with a darkness that only righteous anger could bring and Fay closed her eyes, letting out a slow breath as she waited for Revan's body to catch up to his mind. She was fully prepared when he stood abruptly, her eyes snapping open as he reached for her face and Fay flinched as Revan's gloved hand brushed slowly, gently over her cheek as the man stared at her with a blank expression, though his eyes were still reflecting his anger and power, Fay found the detached calm and the gentle gesture more disturbing than any tantrum he would have thrown. Abruptly, Revan was gone, the lock on her door bypassed through the Force and Revan moved through the corridors of the Jedi Temple, using the Force to shove away curious Jedi that blocked his path. He had business with the High Council to see to and they were delaying him.  
Fay let out a shuddering breath, standing and following Revan swiftly, her blue eyes passing over Jedi that littered the floor of the hallway, unconscious or injured when they'd barred Revan's path. Running to catch up with Revan, Fay arrived at the lift as it opened and stepped inside, ignoring the stone-faced glare Revan sent towards her.

"I hadn't explained everything, Revan Qel-Droma."  
At the use of his family name and not his Clan's name, Revan's entire body tensed and his glare intensified as Fay reached forward, halting the lift's ascent. A ripple in the Force had Fay pinned against the wall, unable to move as the lift continued its path upward and Revan turned fully to face the sephi Jedi Master. Her words when she'd met him at her door had replayed in his mind and quelled an enraged response in her quarters, she had a good heart, was a wholly _good_ person, but Revan could not forgive such a blatant violation of himself. His blood was his own, a piece of him and the Jedi had tried to take it, just as the Jedi of his time had taken a piece of his mind and his anger, his silent rage intensified, causing Fay to gasp slightly as a painful pressure, invisible to her eyes, began pressing down upon her, crushing her body for a split-second and threatening to snap bones before it withdrew instantly at her gasp and she found herself on her knees, her skin flushed as her blood rushed through her veins and she shook slightly from the surreal experience of being crushed by the Force.

Revan's face looked horrified for a moment before he wiped away his expression, allowing his features to reflect the concern he felt for Fay before she stood shakily and faced him, her eyes holding a sadness they hadn't before.

"I had nothing to do with that they did to you, Revan. Don't- don't let your anger control you. Don't be a slave to it."  
The former Sith Lord closed his eyes, breathing in and letting the air from his lungs slowly, deliberately before he opened them slowly and moved to the controls, reversing the direction of the lift. Fay stood against the side of the lift, warily eyeing the man she'd thought of as a friend before what he was doing settled into her mind and she felt a fluttering of hope for him. She wasn't begging him to spare the Council, she was begging for him to spare himself. Too much blood had been shed in the name of Darth Revan and Fay did not want to see more shed if it could be stopped. Slowly, with all the grace and care she had developed in centuries of life, Fay approached Revan's side, slowly grasping his hand and jerked back slightly as she was assaulted by his emotions, the clarity of the depth of his anger showing in her mind as if it were her own and the fears and uncertainty Revan felt at the possibility of never returning to his own time echoing in the Force. A bond, a part of her mind noted, had formed between herself and Revan and she could feel he also held a bond with Aayla.

A lingering tendril in the Force, focused through Revan and so clear it awed Fay showed a much stronger bond Revan held within him, silent, though not severed and she knew it was the reason he felt such concern, such fear for never returning to his own time, why he felt such unbearable grief and anger at his folly with the Sith relic on Korriban. Tenuously studying the strange world opened up to her senses, Fay saw other bonds Revan had developed with Jedi that had once followed him to war against the Mandalorians, most cold and devoid, echoing wounds in his mind that told of the deaths of close friends. One in particular was strong, a lingering darkness that had once been a man Revan considered a brother; it was all that remained of Darth Malak. Grief, hatred and rage burned along those thoughts and Fay understood then, why Revan hated the Jedi of his time and why he was so combative of the Jedi she associated with. They had been the cause of that severed bond and she could clearly see two identities within Revan's consciousness, a blending of the Jedi's programmed identity and what remained of Darth Revan making the man she considered a friend. It wasn't the kind of mental stability that inspired trust.

Breaking the connection, Revan ripped his hand away from Fay's, his mental shields having deteriorated significantly in his anger and he stared at the sephi Jedi with a mixture of suspicion and annoyance. She had gotten into his head, into his mind and he clenched his fists, resisting the urge to call on the Force to smash the troublesome Jedi to dust. Coming back from his anger, Revan knew, logically; that it was an unintentional violation of his mind, that he was as much at fault as she and the former Dark Lord let out a long, slow sigh, deciding to explain some of the things Fay was seeing in his memories.

"That... shattered bond you felt... was the bond I shared for nearly a decade with my... apprentice would have been too simple a term, brother too generic. We were brothers in all but blood, comrades in arms and I killed him at the whim of a Jedi, killed him because they violated my mind and made me into some- some weak creature that they could manipulate, that they made weak through their teachings. You wonder why I am so strong in this time? How I know such unnatural techniques in the Force? It is because I, like many of the Jedi of my time; look beyond the limits my mind places. Nothing is impossible, nothing can limit your potential if you just... take control of it, make it your life, make it every much a part of you as you are of it. They tried to murder my mind, they violated my consciousness and swept away the man I had been, tried to destroy me and made me kill off a part of myself, made my kill off my own brother, my best friend, my most loyal soldier... And the _Pawn_ could not even offer words of regret for Malak at his end. There was no honor in what he did- what I did..."  
Revan's eyes were troubled, greatly so and Fay watched on in silence, giving names to faces that flashed through her mind, substance to images that passed beyond her mind's eye. Revan had been manipulated by the Jedi to kill his apprentice and while Malak had betrayed Revan, the greater betrayal had been done long before, by Revan. Revan had led Malak on a quest meant to save the galaxy that only damned the fallen Jedi and now, there was no way to rectify that mistake, no way to seek a solution where Malak would have lived, a solution Revan, even as a Dark Lord would have sought. He had maimed Malak, yes, but he could never kill him; never kill his own brother in his right mind. At least, not his body. His spirit, his mind... He easily murdered those.

Revan's eyes were drawn to a point on the ground, a phantom only he could see distracting him for a moment and Fay moved cautiously towards him, not touching him, but offering her silent support, should he need it. She couldn't make sense of the thoughts, the power flowing through her mind just then, but she knew she had to try. A flash, an image of an asteroid-like craft spewing plasma and a shadowed figure, horrendously mutilated and slaughtering with such ease that it put Revan's impressive fighting style to shame drew a troubled, almost horrified expression to the sephi Jedi's face.

"What-"  
Revan glanced up into Fay's troubled blue eyes, seeing the same vision that had haunted him after the defeat of the Mandalorians.

"There were... strange things on the edge of the galaxy of my time, in the wild space. Worlds, burned to ashes and glass, ancient Sith so masterful of the Force that they made me look like a weakling. But those... things, those... creatures were the worst of all. I only saw one, and I nearly died killing it, many... many of my men, my fellow Jedi did die before we brought that creature down. It was separated from its people, its ship damaged beyond repair... but it still claimed a dozen Ships of the Line, ten thousand of my own men dead in a few moments as plasma burned through armor and shields as if it were nothing. It launched some kind of... pod from itself, launched that beast aboard one of my ships as its own ship fought on. I don't know what it was, the few species we found in the area only spoke of the void beyond our galaxy, calling the creature a plague. _Vong_... I believe they called it, there was no explanation when they spoke the name, as if it spoke for itself and I wonder if the Sith were really such a great threat if there were but a handful more of those _things_."

Grimly, Revan and Fay stood in silence, sharing their fears for a moment before the lift doors opened and Revan stepped forward, offering his arm to Fay. The Jedi snapped out of her daze, taking Revan's arm and walking with him through the halls of the Jedi Temple, their feet taking them from the Temple to the streets of Coruscant, neither speaking as they merely tried to make sense of the universe around them. Revan knew he was out of his depth in this time, that everything was changing, that there had been a schism sometime in the last four thousand years that had shaken the galaxy, even the nature of the Force to its very foundations, but in that very moment, Revan had opened his world up to Fay, showed her the Force as he saw it, showed her the dangers of his time. The Jedi of her era were almost a joke in comparison to the Jedi of Revan's time, just as Revan was a joke to the Sith of the Great Hyperspace war. Bloodlines, Force-forms and fighting styles had been lost or forgotten in the passing millennia and Fay realized with a bit of dread that a Mandalorian from Revan's time, equipped with armor resistant to the Force and made from Mandalorian metal could easily match any Jedi under the right circumstances. More disturbing had been the glimpses of Sith assassins and Jedi-killer droids, men, women and machines trained, programmed and created for the sole purpose of killing Jedi.

She really hoped the Seperatists didn't develop anything like those. Of course, the galaxy is not without a sense of irony or humor and lightyears away from the Republic, on the Outer Rim world of Mustafar, the CIS unearthed a wrecked ship bearing a rust-colored droid, its ancient power systems inactive and its crimson photo receptors blackened with the passage of time. Created from the unique, self-regenerating mechanisms of the long-lost Star Forge, the husk of the Hunter-Killer droid was almost pristine, its power core merely drained completely. Researchers from the CIS quickly descended upon the strange battle droid, studying its ingenious design and using it in special designs meant to hunt and kill Jedi.

Of course, HK-47 was not one to die easily and an unfortunate tech from the Trade Federation was found dead hours after restoring the droid's systems and giving it a short-term power feed to check the droid's memory banks for any useful information. The Separatist security forces searched the research base thoroughly, but the assassin droid was nowhere to be found. The damage had been done, however and within weeks, the Jedi-Killer droids made their appearance in the Clone Wars, with devastating results for the Jedi Order.


End file.
